THE  J.  PAUL  GETTY  MUSEUM  LIBRARY 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/puvisdechavannesOOunse 


MASTE  RS  IN  ART 


HH  The  Musicians  Library 

JSf  0 W E A V y 

Iff  V'RETA'RATIOff 

BRAHMS 

Forty  Songs  Edited  by  James  HunekerI 

CHOPIN 

Forty  Piano  Numbers  Edited  by  James  HunekerI 

LISZT 

Twenty  Piano  Numbers  Edited  by  August  Spanuth* 

FRANZ 

Fifty  Songs  Edited  by  W.  F.  Apthorp* 

MASTERSONGS 

Fifty  Songs  Edited  by  H.  T.  Finck  + 

LISZT 

Twenty  Transcriptions  Edited  by  A.  Sp  "'Uth 

SCHUBERT 

Fifty  Songs  Edit'  k 

SCHUM 

Fifty  Songs  son 

P 

Forty  Sonerc  er 

Edited  by  v..  duster 

* Prices,  $1.25,  paper  covers ; $2.25,  cloth,  gilt 
t Prices,  1.50,  paper  covers  ; 2.50,  cloth 

,S  LIBRARY  BOOKLET,  with  list  of 
editors  and  Volumes,  sent  on  request. 

ACKNOWLEDGED  BT  ALL  l'O  BE 

THE  FINEST  EDITIONS  EXTANT 

OLIVER  DITSON  COMPANY,  BOSTON 

A Q?I 

BRAUN’S 

CARBON 

PRINTS 

FINEST  and  MOST  DURABLE 
IMPORTED  WORKS  of  ART 


ONE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND 
direct  reproductions  from  the  original 
paintings  and  drawings  by  old  and  modern 
masters.  ^ Our  world-renowned  publica- 
tions of  the  most  celebrated  masterpieces  by 
Titian  number  300;  by  Holbkin,  400; 
by  Velasquez,  150;  by  Rembrandt, 

400  ; etc.,  etc.  Illustrated  extract  from 
our  General  Catalogue  Sent  on  application  ; 
price,  50  cents  (free  to  educational  institu- 
tions). Special  terms  to  schools. 

BRAUN,  CLEMENT  & CO. 

249  Fifth  Avenue,  cor.  28th  Street 

NF.W  YORK  CITY 

No  other  branch  house  in  America. 

Special  terras  to  schools,  architects,  and  decorator*. 

In  answering  advertisements,  p 


Luxurious 

Travel 


The  Painty 

Of  excellence  in  a Railway  Journey  are 

Good  Roadbeds 
Fast  Schedules 
Comfortable  Coaches 
Palatial  Sleepers 
Efficient  Dining-Car  Service 

and  these  are  some  of  the  Points  in  which  the 

Boston  & Albany  R.  R. 

excels  in  its  train  service  from  Boston  and  the 
New  England  Territory  to  the  West. 

For  rntcR,  schedules,  etc.,  address 

A.  S.  HANSON,  G.  P.  A.  BOSTON 

lease  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  & CO.’S 
NEW  ILLUSTRATED  BOOKS 


TRAVEL  AND  DESCRIPTION 


Me  isatn 

-v  Austin 


jtt?  Otmt  ^tovv 

By  John  T.  Trow  _ 

The  autobiography  of  a veteran  story-writer  ana 
poet,  delightful  for  its  comments  upon  men  and 
events,  and  for  its  ease  and  charm  of  style. 
Thirty-three  illustrations,  including  many  por- 
traits, give  the  work  a holiday  appearance.  $2.50 
net.  Postage  extra. 


f)tU  Cotong  of  3!talt 

By  Egerton  R.  Williams,  Jr. 

A description  of  the  wonderfully  picturesque  re- 
gions of  Central  Italy,  sumptuously  illustrated 
«eries  of  striking  photographs.  8vo,  $3.00 
$3.16. 


.at  $octg  of  Staty 

By  Oscar  Kuhns 

eadable,  and  illuminating  discussion  of 
the  n.  famous  poets  of  Italy,  with  translations 
of  the  most  famous  passages  and  a sketch  of  their 
authors.  Illustrated  by  12  portraits.  $ 2.00  net. 
Postpaid,  $2  13. 


NEW  ILLUSTRATED  EDITIONS 


Cljc  Alltel)  and  €Suaftcr 
Colonteg  in  America 

By  John  Fiske 

A Holiday  Edition  of  this  important  work  copi- 
ously illustrated  with  portraits,  maps,  views,  etc. 
2 vols.  $8.00. 


Cagttltau 

By  John  Hay 

Mr.  Joseph  Pennell  has  drawn  a series  of  bril- 
liant pictures  for  this  Holiday  Edition  of  Secre- 
tary Hay’s  picturesque  account  of  his  travels  in 
Spain.  $3.00. 


JUVENILE 


€l)C  Cimoug  1300ft  of  15tl*Dg 

By  Abbie  Farwell  Brown 

Stories  of  birds  based  upon  old  legends  and  folk- 
lore. Square  1 zmo,  Illustrated.  $1.00  net. 
Postage  extra. 


€l)c  Cljrtgt  %)toty 

By  Eva  March  Tappan 

An  account  of  the  Saviour’s  life  written  for  chil- 
dren, with  many  reproductions  of  famous  pic- 
tures. Crown  8vo.  Illustrated.  $1.50  net.  Post- 
age extra. 


Houghton,  Mifflin  & Company,  Boston 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


ENGLISH  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Price,  in  Portfolio,  $10.00 
Bound,  $12.00.  Express  paid 


BATES  & GUILD  COMPANY,  Publishers,  BOSTON,  MASS. 


COLLECTION  of  plates,  100  in  number,  and 
\Z1  11x14  inches  in  size,  reproducing  photographs  of 

the  most  beautiful  old  English  churches,  for  the 
most  part  those  of  small  country  parishes.  Mr.  R.  A.  Cram, 
an  acknowledged  authority  on 
English  Ecclesiastical  Architec- 
ture, selected  the  subjects  with  a 
view  to  their  suggestiveness  for 
American  country  and  suburban 
churches.  The  work  is  now  in  its 
second  edition.  It  will  be  found 
most  helpful  by  building  com- 
mittees of  new  churches,  and  will 
prove  a valuable  and  interesting 
addition  to  any  private  library. 


LIFE  AND  WORK 

OF 

WHISTLER 

By  MORTIMER  MENPES 

WILL  BE  PUBLISHED  IN  A SERIES  OF  ARTICLES  IN 

Cl )t  international  gfrtuftio 

John  Lane’s  monthly  magazine  of  Arts  and  Crafts.  The  first 
article  appears  in  the  OCTOBER  number  of  the  Studio. 

BEGIN  TO  TAKE  THE  INTERNATIONAL 
STUDIO  AT  ONCE 

Subscription,  $3.50  per  year.  35  cents  per  number.  Two  specimen  back  numbers  for  25  cents. 

JOHN  LANE  NEW  YORK 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


c / HE  only  book  existing  that  shows  by  actual  examples  what  is 
A possible  in  garden-making  in  America.  Two  hundred  and  twenty  - 
seven  charming  views  showing  sixty-one  gardens  in  addition  to  plans. 
Price,  $y.y°  net->  express  paid,  bivaluable  to  garden  planners  and 
garden  owners.  Send  for  circular  giving  details. 


BATES  & GUILD  CO.,  Publishers,  42  Chauncy  Street,  Boston 


Reduced  from  one  of  the  22J  views  from  specially  taken  photographs  in  u American  Gardens ” 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


Bindings  and  Bound  Volumes 

MASTERS  IN  MUSIC 


OLUME  I.  of ‘Masters  in  Music’  comprises  the 
issues  from  January  to  June  of  the  current  year 
(Parts  1 to  6 inclusive),  containing  the  issues  de- 
voted to  Mozart,  Chopin,  Gounod,  Mendelssohn, 
Grieg,  and  Raff.  The  publishers  can  now  supply 
this  Volume,  which  makes  a book  of  convenient  size,  and  is 
so  sewed  as  to  lie  open  flat  on  the  piano-rack,  bound  in  two 
substantial  and  attractive  styles.  The  stamping  of  each  style 
is  from  a design  by  Mr.  Frank  Chouteau  Brown,  and  includes 
the  names  of  the  composers  included  in  the  volume  for  ease 
of  reference. 


Volume  I.,  Bound  in  Cloth,  $2.50 

The  Cloth  binding  is  of  full  dark  green  art-buckram,  with  beveled  edges, 
gold  stamp,  and  gilded  top. 

Volume  I.,  Bound  in  Half-morocco,  $3.50 

The  Half-morocco  binding  is  of  crimson  leather  back  and  corners,  and  green 
art-buckram  sides,  with  full  gold  stamp  and  gilded  top. 


Tiie  Binding  of  Subscribers’  Copies 

Subscribers’  Copies  of  Volume  I.  will  be  bound  to  order  in  either  of  the  above 
styles,  and  all  future  volumes  may  be  bound  uniform  with  these.  Price  for 
binding  Subscribers’  Copies  in  Cloth,  $1. .">();  in  Half-morocco,  $2.50.  Send 
copies  for  binding  carefully  wrapped,  and  mark  the  package  outside  with  the 
full  name  and  address  of  the  sender.  The  bound  volume  will  be  returned 
express  paid. 


BATES  <fc  GUILD  COMPANY,  Publishers 

12  Chauncy  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Mastiks  is  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


With  paint  and  powder  In  Grandma  s time 
Ye  lady  made  great  show. 

To-day  my  lady  makes  up  fine — with 


HAND  SAPOLIO. 

It  does  what  soap  cannot  do,  by  a method  of  its  own.  If  you  want  a 
velvet  skin,  don’t  PUT  ON  preparations,  but  TAKE  OFF  the  dead  skin,  and 
let  the  new  perfect  cuticle  furnish  its  own  beauty. 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


$ul>i0  foe  Cijaiwmtcs 


M \HTKItH  I V N IJT  1*1.  \ I f : I 


• . Kit M A N I 


III 
1*1(1- :|i|i 


PI  N is  m-:  i 1 1 \ \ 

I < II  I I. Mil  II  ill  «i|  MT 

iim.  i;  i;  \ kv  i kv  i:s 

I*  \ \ I II  ki  i N . 


\ \ n km 

. i . i . \ i ;\  1 1 \ i 
lin. il  i \ III  \i. 


• I VI  It  A I.  I • A \ I I.] 


I1  \ III 


PUVJS  DK  CHAVANJSJEJ: 


MASTEKS  IX  A ICT  1*1. A l l:  IV 


mnv  t co»i  « ' N>iir 


CUHriA  A r.  AM-'OI, 

[ tun  J 


pr  VIS  III:  • ll  W \ \ M S 
II  IS  I Dll  Y 


60»*Ii(JhT 


III  »s  II » \ 1*1  1 1 1 . 1 « I I lilt  A It  % 


l-E  OF  THE  SOBBONNK 


m 


CIl  KISTIA N INSPI  RATION 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


h 


THE  POOH  FISHERMAN 


PORTRAIT  OF  PU^IS  DE  CHAYANNES  FROM  A PHOTOGRAPH 

Puvis  de  Chavannes  twice  painted  his  own  portrait,  once  as  a young  man,  and 
once,  toward  the  close  of  his  life,  for  the  collection  of  portraits  of  the  Florence 
Uffizi.  He  was  also  painted  at  full-length  by  his  friend  Leon  Bonnat ; and  the 
sculptor  Rodin  made  a bust  of  him  • but  none  of  these  likenesses  seemed  to  his 
friends  as  characteristic  as  his  photographs  ; and  a photograph  has  accordingly  been 
selected  for  reproduction  here.  His  appearance  is  described  in  the  biographical  sketch 
which  follows. 


[ 400  ] 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


^terre*Cectle 

tr t 

BORN  1824:  DIED  1898 
FRENCH  SCHOOL 

PIERRE-CECILE  PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES  (pronounced  Pil-vees  de 
Sha-van),  son  of  an  old  Burgundian  family  which  took  pride  in  tracing 
its  history  back  to  the  year  1152,  was  born  at  Lyons,  where  his  father  was  a 
mining  engineer,  on  the  fourteenth  of  December,  1 824.  The  boy  was  educated 
at  the  college  of  Lyons,  and  at  the  Lycee  Henri  vi.  in  Paris;  and  it  was  planned 
that  he  should  follow  his  father’s  profession.  He  was  accordingly  preparing 
to  enter  the  Polytechnic  School  when  a serious  illness  interrupted  his  studies, 
and,  as  a measure  of  recovery,  he  made  a journey  into  Italy.  Although  this 
was  purely  a youthful  pleasure-trip,  the  sight  of  the  Italian  works  of  art  opened 
a new  horizon  to  his  imagination.  On  his  return  to  France  he  declared  his 
wish  to  become  a painter;  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  entered  the  studio  of 
Henri  Scheffer  in  Paris. 

Here  he  profited  little,  however,  working  without  real  interest;  and  soon 
discouraged,  he  discontinued  his  studies  and  made  a second  journey  to  Italy, 
this  time  accompanied  by  a comrade,  Beauderon  de  Vermeron,  an  enthusias- 
tic artist.  During  this  year  of  travel  Puvis  de  Chavannes  studied  much,  ad- 
miring especially,  according  to  his  own  statement,  the  works  of  Titian,  Tin- 
toretto, and,  above  all,  of  Paul  Veronese.  He  moreover  felt  his  previous 
decision  to  take  up  art  as  a profession  confirmed;  and  on  his  return  to  Paris, 
entered  the  studio  of  Eugene  Delacroix. 

His  stay  there  was,  however,  brief.  Delacroix’s  vogue  as  a teacher  had 
already  waned;  his  pupils  were  one  by  one  slipping  away;  and  just  fifteen 
days  after  Puvis  de  Chavannes  entered  the  studio  the  master  himself  closed 
the  doors  of  his  atelier.  The  vagrant  young  art-student  next  chose  Couture 
as  his  instructor;  but  remained  under  him  only  three  months,  for  he  found 
himself  out  of  sympathy  with  Couture’s  methods.  One  of  his  former  com- 
rades has  described  the  incident  which  led  to  his  quitting  the  studio.  One 
overcast  morning  Puvis  de  Chavannes  was  doing  his  best  to  render  the  silvery 
harmonies  of  the  model’s  flesh  in  the  gray  light,  when  Couture,  on  his  round 
of  criticism,  stopped  before  the  canvas,  grumbled,  frowned,  and  taking  his 

[4011 


24 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


pupil’s  palette  mixed  a tone  for  the  lights  according  to  his  own  stereotyped 
formula  — white,  Naples  yellow,  vermilion,  and  cobalt — and  with  a few  touches 
altered  the  entire  color-scheme  of  the  study.  “What,  Monsieur  Couture,” 
cried  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  in  amazement,  “is  that  the  way  you  really  see  the 
model?”  and  after  that  day’s  session  he  never  returned  to  the  atelier. 

Alter  leaving  Couture,  Puvis  de  Chavannes  apparently  abandoned  all  idea 
of  educating  himself  in  the  usual  fashion  under  a master;  and  in  1852  in- 
stalled himsell  in  that  studio  in  the  Place  Pigalle  which  he  quitted  only  in 
1897,  and  began  that  long,  uneventful  career  of  daily  toil  which  was  to  con- 
tinue till  his  death.  He  organized  a group  of  friends  who,  like  himself,  were 
desirous  of  painting  from  the  living  model,  into  a sort  of  communal  acad- 
emy, and  for  a few  years  these  young  men,  bound  together  by  warm  friend- 
ships, taught  each  other  the  technique  of  painting  by  mutual  criticism  and 
the  long  discussions  about  art  which  followed  each  day’s  work. 

Meantime  he  had  succeeded  in  having  one  picture,  a ‘Pieta,’  accepted  at 
the  Salon  of  1850;  but  for  nine  years  thereafter  his  pictures  were  invariably 
refused.  In  no  wise  discouraged  by  these  repeated  rebuffs,  however,  or  shaken 
in  his  faith  in  himself  or  his  ideals,  Puvis  de  Chavannes  sent  the  rejected  can- 
vases to  the  private  exhibitions  organized  in  the  Galeries  Bonne-Nouvelle  in 
1852  and  the  two  following  years.  The  public  went  to  these  exhibitions,  but 
only  to  laugh  at  his  pictures.  A few  far-sighted  critics,  Theophile  Gautier 
among  them,  defended  and  encouraged  the  indomitable  young  artist;  but  for 
the  most  part  he  was  attacked  or  ridiculed  on  every  side.  He  painted  away, 
nevertheless,  producing  easel-pictures  of  many  different  types,  in  which  were 
reflected,  in  somewhat  exaggerated  and  incoherent  fashion,  the  influences  of 
the  masters  whose  works  he  had  studied  at  the  Louvre  and  in  Italy. 

It  was  not  till  1859,  when  he  was  thirty-five  years  old,  that  he  succeeded  in 
again  gaining  admittance  to  the  Salon.  Five  years  previously  his  brother  had 
built  a country  house  in  which  the  blank  panels  of  the  dining-room  “tempted 
him,”  as  he  expressed  it;  and,  for  his  own  amusement,  he  painted  for  these 
spaces  the  inevitable  four  seasons,  together  with  a large  central  composition. 
“One  of  these  subjects,”  he  says,  “I  repainted  on  a larger  scale  for  the  Salon 
of  1859,  calling  it  ‘Return  from  Hunting.’  It  was  accepted;  and  so  delighted 
was  I that  I presented  the  picture  to  the  Museum  of  Marseilles;  and  it  oc- 
curred to  me  that  something  might  be  done  in  this  mural  style  of  painting.” 
As  a result,  the  two  pictures,  ‘Peace’  and  ‘War,’  which  Puvis  de  Chavannes 
submitted  to  the  Salon  jury  of  1861,  though  intended  for  no  particular  building 
since  he  had  no  commissions,  were  distinctly  mural  in  character.  They  were 
accepted;  his  work  for  the  first  time  was  seriously  discussed  by  the  critics; 
he  was  awarded  a medal  of  the  second  class,  and  the  government  purchased 
‘Peace.’  Not  wishing  to  see  the  companion  panels  separated  however,  the 
painter  presented  the  authorities  with  ‘War.’  These  two  pictures  are  impor- 
tant in  the  career  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  for  they  not  only  mark  the  turning 
of  his  attention  almost  exclusively  henceforward  to  mural  work,  but  give  evi- 
dence that  he  had  already  fixed  upon  that  ideal  of  decorative  painting  which 
he  continued  to  develop  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

[402] 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


25 


Taking  advantage  of  the  prominence  into  which  the  purchase  of  his  ‘Peace’ 
by  the  state  had  brought  his  works,  he  exhibited  in  1863  two  similar  com- 
panion panels,  entitled  ‘Work’  and  ‘Rest.’  These  were  widely  praised,  but 
there  was  no  offer  to  purchase  them,  and  they  were  returned  to  the  painter’s 
studio. 

It  seemed  merely  a happy  chance  which  enabled  him  to  realize  his  dream 
of  seeing  these  compositions  utilized  as  he  had  intended  them  to  be,  and 
brought  about  a general  recognition  of  his  preeminence  as  a mural  painter. 
The  city  of  Amiens,  conjointly  with  the  Society  of  Antiquaries  of  Picardy, 
happened  at  this  time  to  be  building  a museum;  and  one  day  the  architect, 
Diet,  presented  himself  at  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  studio.  “I  saw  your  pictures 
‘Peace’  and  ‘War’  in  the  Salon  of  186  1,”  he  said,  “and  was  much  impressed 
by  them.  If  you  have  not  yet  sold  them,  I think  I can  place  them  for  you  in 
the  new  Musee  de  Picardie,  where  there  are  large  wall  spaces  to  cover.  What 
has  become  of  them?”  The  painter  answered  that  they  belonged  to  the  state, 
but  that  the  authorities  had  not  yet  made  any  disposition  of  them.  “Good,” 
replied  Diet,  “I  will  immediately  see  to  it  that  the  city  of  Amiens  applies  to 
have  them  given  to  the  museum.”  The  request  was  granted;  and  when  the 
pictures  were  set  in  place  their  splendid  mural  effectiveness  was  immediately 
apparent.  Delighted  at  this  unexpected  stroke  of  fortune,  the  painter  offered 
to  complete  the  decoration  at  his  own  cost,  and  presented  the  museum  with 
four  subsidiary  panels. 

Not  long  after,  Diet  returned  to  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  studio  to  say  that 
two  more  mural  paintings  were  now  needed  to  adorn  the  main  staircase  of 
the  museum.  “Have  you,  by  good  luck,”  he  asked,  “as  you  had  before, 
something  that  will  serve  my  purpose?”  For  answer  the  painter  unearthed 
from  a corner  two  immense  rolls  of  canvas.  “Have  I what  you  want!”  he 
exclaimed.  “Here  they  are — my  two  pictures  of  last  year’s  Salon,  ‘Work’ 
and  ‘Rest.’  They  are  of  the  same  dimensions  as  ‘War’  and  ‘Peace,’  and 
were  executed  to  accompany  them.  If  they  suit  you  I shall  be  delighted.” 
As  the  city  of  Amiens  had  not  at  the  time  available  funds  for  the  purchase  of 
these  works,  the  painter  presented  them  to  the  museum;  but  so  effective 
did  they  prove  when  in  place  that  the  administration  at  once  ordered  a new 
composition  for  the  same  building.  This,  under  the  title  of  ‘Ave  Picardia 
Nutrix,’  was  exhibited  at  the  Salon  of  1865.  It  produced  a marked  and  wide- 
spread sensation;  and  from  this  time  on  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  position  as  a 
mural  decorator  was  assured. 

Henceforth  his  life  was  devoted  to  fulfilling  commissions  to  decorate  impor- 
tant municipal  buildings,  every  successive  work  bringing  him  fuller  appreci- 
ation and  increased  fame.  In  1868  he  painted  ‘Marseilles,  Gate  of  the  East,’ 
and  in  1 869 ‘Marseilles,  Greek  Colony,’  for  the  Palais  de  Longchamp  at 
Marseilles;  in  1872  ‘St.  Radegunda  at  the  Convent  of  Sainte-Croix,’  and  in 
1874  ‘Charles  Martel,  Conqueror  of  the  Saracens,’  for  the  Poitiers  Hotel  de 
Yille.  In  187  7 he  finished  two  pictures  which  illustrate  the  childhood  of  St. 
Genevieve  for  the  Paris  Pantheon;  in  1882  he  exhibited  the  ‘Ludus  pro  Pa- 
tria,’  which  completed  his  work  in  Amiens  and  gained  him  the  medal  of  honor. 

[ 4 o :t  ] 


26 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


Between  1884  and  1887  he  painted,  to  decorate  the  Palais  des  Arts  of  his 
native  city,  Lyons,  ‘The  Sacred  Grove,’  ‘Antique  Vision,’  and  ‘Christian  In- 
spiration.’ In  1 889  he  finished  for  the  new  lecture-hall  of  the  Paris  Sorbonne 
the  allegory  of  the  ‘Letters,  Sciences,  and  Arts’  (usually  known  as  the  ‘Sor- 
bonne Hemicycle’),  which  perhaps  ranks  as,  upon  the  whole,  his  greatest 
achievement-  and  in  honor  of  it  he  was  made  Commander  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor. 

In  1890,  at  the  time  of  the  schism  in  the  old  Salon,  Puvis  de  Chavannes 
followed  Meissonier  in  his  withdrawal,  and  with  him  founded  the  Societe 
Nationale  des  Beaux-Arts,  known  as  the  New  Salon,  which  then  began  its 
annual  exhibitions  in  the  Champ-de-Mars.  After  Meissonier’s  death,  in  1891, 
he  became  president  of  this  society,  and  held  the  office  till  his  death. 

For  the  Museum  of  Rouen  Puvis  de  Chavannes  next  painted,  between 
1890  and  1892,  three  compositions,  ‘Inter  Artes  et  Naturam,’  ‘Pottery,’  and 
‘Ceramics’;  and  between  1889  and  1893  he  completed  for  the  reception- 
hall  of  the  Paris  Hotel  de  Ville  two  large  canvases  representing  ‘Winter’  and 
‘Summer,’  and  a large  ceiling  painting,  ‘Victor  Hugo  Offering  his  Lyre  to 
the  City  of  Paris.’ 

By  this  time  the  great  qualities  of  his  work  had  come  to  be  widely  ap- 
preciated, and  the  apogee  of  his  fame  was  marked  on  the  sixteenth  of  Jan- 
uary, 1895,  the  beginning  of  his  seventy-first  year,  by  a great  public  banquet 
given  to  him  in  Paris.  At  this  banquet  there  were  present  nearly  five  hun- 
dred of  the  most  eminent  men  in  France  — painters,  litterateurs,  critics,  and 
public  officials  — who  joined  in  paying  enthusiastic  tribute  to  the  genius  of 
one  who  was  now  everywhere  acclaimed  as  the  world’s  greatest  living  mural 
painter. 

In  1891  the  trustees  of  the  Boston  Public  Library,  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, requested  Puvis  de  Chavannes  to  decorate  the  monumental  staircase 
of  that  building,  and  offered  him  200,000  francs  (by  far  the  largest  price 
he  had  ever  received)  for  the  work,  which  was  to  comprise  one  large  paint- 
ing and  eight  smaller  panels.  The  negotiations  hung  fire  for  some  time,  how- 
ever; and  in  his  letters  Puvis  de  Chavannes  makes  frequent  references  to 
the  matter.  In  one  he  writes:  “As  to  the  pictures  for  Boston,  we  are  still 
discussing,  and  I am  afraid  that  the  whole  matter  will  fall  through.  More- 
over the  work  does  not  tempt  me,  for  I thirst  for  rest.”  He  finally  accepted 
the  commission,  nevertheless,  and  the  pictures,  begun  in  1895,  were  finished 
in  1897. 

Meantime,  in  1896,  the  Administration  of  Fine  Arts  in  Paris  had  or- 
dered two  further  works  for  the  Pantheon,  which,  under  the  general  title  of 
‘The  Old  Age  of  St.  Genevieve,’  were  to  show  ‘St.  Genevieve  Provisioning 
Besieged  Paris ’and  ‘St.  Genevieve  Watching  over  Sleeping  Paris,’  supplement- 
ing those  representing  the  ‘Childhood  of  St.  Genevieve  ’ painted  nearly  twenty 
years  earlier.  Before  he  had  finished  these  works,  however,  Puvis  de  Chavannes 
was  striken  by  the  approach  of  his  last  illness;  but  with  characteristic  deter- 
mination he  continued  to  labor  on  them  up  to  the  last  moment  when  his 
hand  could  hold  a brush;  and  they  were  practically  completed  at  his  death. 

[404] 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


27 


In  person  Puvis  de  Chavannes  was  tall  and  of  robust  figure,  his  head  well 
set  on  broad  shoulders,  his  complexion  rich  in  color,  his  eyes  clear,  his  nose 
strong,  his  wavy  beard  lightly  shadowing  delicate  lips  above  a vigorous  chin. 

His  private  life  was  unusually  uneventful,  for  immediately  after  leaving 
Couture’s  atelier  he  had  begun  that  daily  round  of  intense  and  isolated  labor 
which  left  him  little  time  for  outside  activities.  He  had  two  studios,  the  one 
already  mentioned  in  the  Place  Pigalle,  which  his  apartments  adjoined, and  here 
he  used  to  plan  out  and  make  the  sketches  for  his  compositions.  The  other 
was  an  immense,  bare  hall,  plainly  built  of  wood,  situated  in  the  middle  of 
the  park  of  Neuilly,  where  in  seclusion  he  did  the  actual  work  on  his  im- 
mense canvases.  His  friends  and  familiars  were  admitted  to  the  Place  Pigalle 
studio  up  to  nine  o’clock  in  the  morning;  but  they  were  then  politely  but  in- 
flexibly sent  awav,  and  the  painter  began  his  day’s  work  here,  or  left  on  foot 
for  the  Neuilly  atelier,  some  three  and  a half  miles  distant. 

He  demanded  absolute  liberty  as  to  the  conception  of  his  pictures,  refusing 
several  commissions  which  he  would  otherwise  have  been  glad  to  undertake 
because  the  subject  imposed  was  not  to  his  taste;  and  he  would  permit  no 
criticism  or  interference  with  his  work  in  progress,  indeed  not  even  allow- 
ing it  to  be  inspected,  for  he  felt  that  the  first  condition  of  success  in  art  was 
that  the  artist  should  be  wholly  himself. 

He  was  enabled  to  maintain  this  independent  attitude,  as  it  had  been  pos- 
sible for  him  to  go  on  striving  towards  what  was  then  an  unpopular  ideal  dur- 
ing all  the  years  when  his  pictures  were  the  laughing-stock  of  criticism,  only 
because  of  the  income  from  a patrimony.  Indeed,  he  often  took  pleasure  in 
relating  how  when  a lad  at  school  he  had  once  exchanged  a rude  drawing 
with  a fellow  pupil  for  a bit  of  bread;  adding,  “It  was  one  of  the  rare  occa- 
sions in  my  life  when  my  art  nourished  me.” 

The  apparent  imperturbability  with  which  he  received  the  attacks  of  the 
critics  during  his  early  years,  joined  to  his  natural  self-sufficiency  and  phil- 
osophical calmness  of  demeanor,  led  those  who  did  not  know  him  to  consider 
him  thick-skinned  and  unimpressionable.  On  the  contrary,  few  artists  have 
been  so  sensitive,  either  to  praise  or  blame.  He  broke  oft  all  relations  with 
his  former  close  friend,  Edmond  About,  because  of  what  he  considered 
About’s  traitorous  criticism  of  his  work;  and  his  biographer  and  warm  ad- 
mirer, Vachon,  tells  how  on  one  occasion  the  painter  proposed  that  all  rela- 
tions between  them  should  cease,  since  Vachon  had  said  that  he  preferred  the 
decorations  at  Amiens  to  those  of  the  Pantheon,  which  Puvis  de  Chavannes 
considered  a reflection  upon  his  progress.  Vachon  also  relates  that  once  while 
showing  some  ladies,  with  the  greatest  apparent  politeness,  one  of  the  com- 
positions in  his  studio,  their  silly  comments,  to  which  he  could  not  reply, 
threw  Puvis  de  Chavannes  into  such  an  inward  rage  that  he  drove  his  nails 
into  the  palms  of  his  hands  until  they  bled.  He  was  wont  to  say,  “When  I 
exhibit  a picture  I seem  to  be  setting  myself  up  naked  before  all  the  world.” 
He  was  thoroughly  bound  up  in  his  work,  and  took  but  luke-warm  interest 
in  anything  which  did  not  relate  to  it.  “It  may  be  said  of  him  quite  justly,” 
writes  his  biographer,  “that  his  egoism  was  superb;”  and  it  was  quite  seri- 

[405] 


28 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


ously  that  he  replied  to  the  indiscreet  reporter  who  asked  him  what  painter 
he  preferred,  by  a laconic  “myself.” 

In  spite  of  his  isolated  habits  of  labor,  Puvis  de  Chavannes  was,  however, 
no  recluse,  and  cared  for  solitude  only  in  his  studio.  He  delighted  in  all  the 
pleasures  of  life,  and  was  particularly  fond  of  those  of  the  table.  Although 
from  the  beginning  of  his  career  he  had  accustomed  himself  to  eat  but  once 
a day,  at  seven  o’clock  in  the  evening,  breakfasting  at  midday  in  his  studio 
merely  upon  a cup  of  tea  and  a bit  of  bread  without  interrupting  his  work, 
his  dinner,  usually  taken  in  company  with  pupils  or  friends  at  some  public 
restaurant,  was  an  affair  of  importance,  and  a highly  jovial  occasion. 

The  greatest  personal  influence  in  his  life  was  undoubtedly  that  of  the 
woman  who  ultimately  became  his  wife,  the  Princess  Marie  Cantacuzene.  He 
first  met  her  in  his  thirtieth  year,  and  from  this  time  on  he  loved  her  “as,” 
says  his  biographer,  “Michelangelo  might  have  loved  Vittoria  Colonna.” 
She,  on  her  part,  attached  herself  to  the  young  painter  with  all  the  tender- 
ness and  devotion  which  a friendship  based  upon  high  esteem  and  mutual 
confidence  could  inspire;  and  he  was  wont  to  say  that  he  owed  everything 
to  her — everything  that  he  was  and  everything  that  he  had  accomplished. 
She  soon  became  the  confidant  of  his  ideals  and  work;  and  from  her  and  from 
her  alone  would  he  accept,  without  discussion,  council  and  criticism.  During 
the  preparation  of  a picture  she  was  accustomed  to  sit  reading  or  working 
in  a corner  of  the  studio,  and  when  he  had  sketched  out  a personage  or  ar- 
ranged a group,  he  would  ask  her  opinion  of  it.  Her  response  put  an  end 
to  all  his  hesitations  and  perplexities  on  that  point.  She  often  sat  for  figures 
for  which  professional  models  could  not  pose  as  the  master  desired ; and  in  his 
Pantheon  picture  of ‘St.  Genevieve  Watching  over  Sleeping  Paris’  Puvis  de 
Chavannes  has  reproduced  her  likeness  in  the  austere  and  nunlike  figure  and 
grave,  sweet  beauty  of  the  saint’s  face. 

Two  years  before  his  death  Puvis  de  Chavannes  fell  gravely,  it  was  feared 
fatally,  ill.  He  was  devotedly  nursed  by  the  Princess  Cantacuzene;  and  when, 
in  1897,  he  became  convalescent,  they  were  married.  She  herself  was,  how- 
ever, in  precarious  health  at  the  time;  and  when,  a year  afterwards,  in  Au- 
gust, 1 898.  she  died,  life  seemed  to  hold  no  further  aim  for  him  and  it  became 
evident  that  he  would  not  long  survive  her.  He  died  but  two  months  later, 
on  the  twenty-fourth  of  October,  1898.  — based  on  the  life  of  puvis  de 

CHAVANNES  BY  MARIUS  VACHON 


Cl)t  art  of  $u\)ts  hr  Cljatmtinrci 

ROBERT  DE  LA  SIZERANNE  ‘REVUE  DES  DEUX  MONDES’  1898 

SINCE  that  day  in  1854  when  he  invaded  his  brother’s  dining-room  that 
he  mi^ht  find  a place  for  those  decorative  figures  which  would  not  have 
been  welcomed  in  any  other  house  in  France,  up  to  the  time  when  he  died 

[406] 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


29 


the  most  famous  mural  painter  in  the  world,  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  ideal  re- 
mained the  same.  For  forty  years  he  persistently  pursued  this  ideal,  seeking 
ever  more  and  more  for  the  serene,  decorative  line,  dignified  gesture,  im- 
mobile attitude,  clear,  calm,  lovely  color;  painting  anecdote  less  and  less; 
making  his  landscapes  ever  more  and  more  simple,  his  figures  more  and  more 
abstractions,  his  symbolism  higher  and  finer.  Without  attention  to  the  clamor 
about  him  he  walked  straight  forward  like  a somnambulist,  allured  by  a light 
which  he  alone  could  see,  but  which  he  to-day  has  brought  a whole  nation 
to  see. 

Puvis  de  Chavannes  has  too  recently  laid  down  his  brush  to  make  it  pos- 
sible for  us  to  decide  how  posterity  will  judge  his  work.  The  failings  in  it 
will  soon  enough  be  brought  to  light  by  his  imitators — for  like  Michelangelo 
he  might  have  exclaimed,  “How  many  painters  will  my  work  shipwreck!” 
— while  the  best  qualities  of  his  achievement  were  personal  and  intransmis- 
sible. Even  at  this  close  range,  however,  we  may  discern  one  lack  in  his 
equipment.  He  never  completely  realized  beauty  of  form  for  its  own  sake. 
His  drawing  is  full  of  little  errors.  Even  where  most  correct  it  has  no  se- 
curity; even  where  most  exact,  no  freedom.  Not  one  of  his  foreshorten- 
ings is  beautiful,  some  of  them  are  even  preposterous,  and  certain  of  his  fig- 
ures, that  of  the  child  in  ‘The  Poor  Fisherman,’  for  an  example,  cannot  be 
defended  on  any  pretext.  The  construction  of  his  personages  is  almost  always 
uncertain  ; their  necks  are  often  attached  so  far  forward  as  to  throw  the  head 
out  like  that  of  a humpback;  their  arms,  overlong  from  shoulder  to  elbow, 
are  singularly  detached  from  the  torso;  — indeed,  we  feel  like  putting  little 
points  of  interrogation  as  to  the  drawing  all  over  his  pictures.  To  reply  that 
this  weakness  was  actually  of  service  to  him  by  leading  him  to  substitute 
more  effective  qualities  may  be  true;  but  to  deny,  as  his  followers  have  done, 
that  it  was  a weakness  seems  futile.  “What  appear  to  be  errors  in  drawing,” 
they  repeat,  “are  mere  simplifications.  Tracing  upon  a vast  canvas,  intended 
to  be  seen  from  a distance,  decorative  figures  meant  to  express  very  general 
ideas,  he  wished  to  draw  only  what  was  absolutely  necessary,  only  the  most 
general  indication.”  Unquestionably  a proper  principle,  this  nevertheless 
hardly  seems  to  excuse  errors  in  design.  Simplify  all  movement,  all  model- 
ing, all  attitude  to  the  uttermost,  the  resulting  abstract  should,  nevertheless, 
be  a true  abstract,  not  a false  one.  One  line  may  be  sufficient  to  indicate 
a shoulder-blade,  but  this  line  should  be  exactly  where  the  shoulder-blade 
ends,  not  elsewhere;  the  drawing  of  an  arm  may  be  reduced  to  two  lines, 
but  these  two  lines  should  be  of  rigorously  correct  proportions.  If  the  theory 
of  simplification  were,  moreover,  to  account  for  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  errors 
in  drawing,  we  should  logically  find  those  errors  greatest  where  he  had  sim- 
plified most;  but  exactly  the  contrary  is  the  case:  his  errors  are  greatest 
where  he  goes  into  most  detail.  The  arm  of  the  woman  with  the  basket  in 
‘Autumn’  might,  for  example,  be  much  less  muscled,  less  anatomized,  less 
curved  than  it  is,  and  yet  be  far  more  correct  in  drawing.  We  cannot  ad- 
mit that  had  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  sense  of  form  been  (it  a higher  order  his 
work  need  thereby  have  been  inany  wise  diminished  in  effect,  though  such  is  the 

[ 407  1 


30 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


conclusion  to  which  some  of  his  over-fervent  admirers  would  lead  us.  If  the 
portico  of  ‘The  Sacred  Grove’  had  been  better  constructed,  the  cloister  in 
‘Christian  Inspiration’  set  in  better  perspective,  the  figures  in  the  ‘Antique 
Vision  ’ have  had  the  height  which  belonged  to  their  respective  planes,  wherein 
would  the  beauty  of  the  whole  have  been  lessened? 

We  have  insisted  upon  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  one  salient  weakness  more 
than  its  importance  in  his  work  perhaps  deserves,  in  protest  against  that  hasty 
generalization  which  would  transfigure  the  defects  of  any  great  man  into  mer- 
its. But,  on  the  other  hand,  in  grasp  of  the  principles  of  mural  decorative  art, 
in  composition,  and  in  color,  we  may  pronounce  him  without  reserve  or  hes- 
itation a master. 

He  was  the  first  painter  of  modern  days  to  understand  how  carefully  true 
decorative  art  must  accommodate  itself  to  the  conditions  of  light,  tonality, 
and  surroundings  of  the  space  to  be  decorated,  and  that  between  the  essen- 
tials of  wall-painting  and  of  easel-painting  there  are  fundamental  and  insuper- 
able differences.  Year  by  year  we  see  him  coming  to  acknowledge  these  dif- 
ferences more  clearly.  He  early  recognized  that  it  was  necessary  to  banish 
from  a wall  all  realism,  all  attempt  to  convince  the  eye  that  the  painted  thing 
was  real;  and  he  soon  came  to  class  with  this,  as  another  form  of  deception 
to  be  avoided,  all  violent  effects  of  light  and  shade  which  deceive  the  eye  as 
to  the  flatness  and  solidity  of  that  wall.  Therefore  he  grew  to  avoid  complex 
and  huddled  groups  of  figures,  since  such  figures  could  not  be  relieved  against 
one  another  without  strong  shadows,  and  relief  against  relief  must  necessarily 
produce  salience  of  effect,  and  spaced  his  figures  more  and  more  widely,  set- 
ting them  separately  in  empty  spaces,  or  arranging  them  in  parallel  planes 
which  do  not  intersect,  but  sweep  straight  from  one  side  of  the  picture  to  the 
other.  Indeed,  this  trick  of  composing  in  a series  of  well-marked  parallel 
planes,  each  of  which  is  maintained  at  its  own  depth  throughout  the  canvas, 
is  one  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  of  his  work.  Hesitating  in  his  first 
pictures,  we  see  the  method  adhered  to  more  closely  in  each  successive  com- 
position, and  finally  affirmed  in  the  ‘Ludus  pro  Patria’  and  in  the  Sorbonne 
Hemicycle. 

He  perceived,  too,  that  in  mural  paintings,  which  must  be  long  at  a time 
before  the  spectator  during  public  ceremonials  or  during  the  daily  business 
of  those  who  frequent  the  buildings  they  adorn,  there  should  be  no  restless 
gesticulations,  no  unstable  equilibriums,  no  rapid  movements,  but  the  aim 
should  be  instead  to  offer  a quiet  refuge  to  the  eye.  And  much  of  this  re- 
poseful effect  he  obtains  by  his  use  of  landscapes.  He  first  of  all  produces 
the  idea  of  symmetry  and  order  in  them  by  alinements  of  similar  tree  trunks 
of  the  same  diameter;  his  groves  are  regularly  and  discreetly  ornamental. 
Next,  they  always  convey  a sense  of  pleasant  ease  and  leisure.  I hey  are  of 
the  soft  greensward,  or  placid  sea,  or  shady  boscage,  or  fertile  plain  ; he  shows 
us  no  rebellious  nature. 

Like  the  Preraphaelite  landscapists,  he  suppressed  the  sky  as  much  as 
possible,  but  did  so  by  raising  the  horizon  line — a modern  proceeding.  An- 
other curious  mixture  in  his  methods  is  that  his  backgrounds  are  modern  — 

[ 4081 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


31 


vague,  hazy,  almost  impressionistic  — while  his  foregrounds  are  primitive, 
with  the  littlest  flowers  or  each  leaf  of  a shrub  delicately  and  carefully  de- 
tailed. He  had  but  two  fashions  of  rendering  foliage,  either  massing  it  all  in 
a block,  as  in  the  ‘Summer’  and  in  many  of  his  backgrounds,  or  drawing  each 
leaf  separately  in  the  fashion  of  the  primitives,  as  in  ‘The  Sacred  Grove’  or 
the  Sorbonne  Hemicycle. 

To  rank  Puvis  de  Chavannes  as  above  all  a landscapist  and  colorist  may 
seem  a startling  conclusion,  yet  I believe  that  it  is  because  of  his  landscapes 
and  his  coloring  that  he  will  be  most  highly  esteemed  in  time  to  come.  Im- 
agine the  figures  of,  say,  the  ‘Winter’  or  of ‘The  Sacred  Grove’  deprived  of 
their  landscapes  and  set  against  a plain  background, and  ask  yourself  howmuch 
of  their  poetry  would  remain.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  very  easy  to  imagine 
‘The  Sacred  Grove’  without  its  muses  or  the  ‘Winter’  without  its  wood- 
choppers,  and  they  would  still  be  magnificent  landscapes  in  which  the  poetry 
would  be  but  little  diminished.  In  these  works  at  least  the  landscapes  give 
the  figures  their  effectiveness  and  their  harmony. 

Harmony  ! Yes,  in  a last  analysis,  it  is  in  its  harmony  that  the  great  charm 
of  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  work  resides;  and  how  much  of  its  harmony  does  it 
not  owe  to  that  pallid  scheme  of  coloring  which  on  the  walls  of  the  Salon 
makes  one  of  his  canvases  seem  so  thin  and  watery  beside  the  violent  trum- 
pet-blasts of  tone  of  our  romantic  painters?  But  observe  the  same  painting 
in  its  place,  on  the  wall  of  the  Pantheon,  for  example,  and  here,  beside  its 
pale  pastel-like  grays  and  greens  and  violets,  the  brilliant  pictures  of  the  other 
decorators  seem  to  explode  like  fireworks.  Their  color  sings  loudly,  shrilly, 
while  that  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes  chants  a solemn  psalmody  fitting  for  the 
temple.  Their  figures  seem  to  start  out  of  the  wall  or  to  shrink  back  into  it, 
or  to  have  been  partially  immured  there  by  some  ill-willed  sorcerer  and  to 
be  making  desperate  gestures  to  escape,  while  his  appear  to  have  been  born  of 
the  stone  and  the  architecture,  and  to  have  as  little  of  the  transitory  or  acci- 
dental about  them  as  the  pillars  that  enframe  them. 

And  if,  turning  from  the  outward  aspect  to  the  underlying  meaning,  from 
the  body  to  the  spirit  of  his  pictures,  we  ask  what  is  their  inner  signification, 
what  they  have  to  give  us  beside  a harmony  of  visual  shapes  and  colors,  I 
think  we  shall  find  that  they  exhale,  as  their  chief  influence,  a sense  of  calm 
that  I can  find  no  other  adjective  so  fit  to  qualify  as  “holv.”  They  suggest 
something  grander,  higher,  calmer,  than  anything  they  show,  evoking  the 
idea  of  some  idyllic  communal  life  and  of  a super-earthly  peace.  On  the 
day  of  his  death  some  one  called  Puvis  de  Chavannes  “the  peace-bringer.” 
FROM  THE  FRENCH 

MARIUS  VACHON  ‘PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES* 

THE  evolution  of  form  and  the  evolution  of  color  in  the  work  of  Puvis 
de  Chavannes  progressed  with  equal  steps.  In  his  first  mural  canvases, 
at  Amiens,  he  painted  the  figures  direct  from  the  living  model  upon  the  final 
canvas.  This  method  naturally  led  to  a specific  quality  and  detail  in  faces, 
gestures,  and  attitudes  which  militated  against  that  subordination  and  unity 

[409] 


32 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


which  mural  conditions  should  impose.  Each  figure  seemed  too  anxious  to 
make  an  individual  and  striking  impression,  careless  whether  a neighboring 
figure  suffered  by  contrast.  Moreover,  still  inspired  by  his  reminiscences  of 
the  old  masters  or  by  various  contemporary  painters,  he  was  afraid  of  no  tone 
or  shade,  and  colored  solidly  and  spottily  in  vivid  tones  of  red,  blue,  yellow, 
and  green. 

But  as  he  grew  to  understand  better  the  requirements  of  his  chosen  work, 
he  little  by  little  abandoned  the  painting  of  “bits,”  and  no  longer  conceived 
or  executed  a decorative  canvas  except  as  a whole;  working  not  direct  from 
the  model,  but  following  the  guidance  of  a single  carefully  worked  out  sketch, 
only  the  elements  of  which  were  the  result  of  numerous  preliminary  studies 
from  nature.  Gradually  he  omitted  details,  and  subdued  all  forms,  attitudes, 
and  gestures  that  might  attract  individual  attention.  He  did  not  turn  his  back 
on  naturalism,  but  his  naturalism  became  of  the  broader  kind  which  discards 
the  particular  type  in  favor  of  the  general  type.  Finally,  every  figure  was  con- 
ceived and  executed  merely  with  the  object  of  realizing  a general  decorative 
scheme;  its  individual  beauty,  no  matter  how  great,  was  sacrificed  whenever 
it  did  not  contribute  to  the  beauty  of  the  group,  and  the  beauty  of  the  group 
was  sacrificed  whenever  it  did  not  contribute  to  the  beauty  of  the  whole. 

And  just  as  in  design  he  sacrificed  the  individual  to  the  group,  so  he  felt 
the  necessity  of  making  his  schemes  of  color  subservient  also,  and  of  giving 
each  figure  or  object  not  an  individual  color  but  the  color  necessary  to  har- 
monize, first  with  its  environment,  second  with  the  canvas  as  a whole,  and 
finally  with  the  surroundings  of  the  painting  when  in  place.  Of  this  last 
requirement  he  was  particularly  studious.  “The  care  to  make  his  painting 
perfectly  harmonious  with  the  place  and  the  wall  it  was  to  decorate,”  writes 
Ph.  de  Chennevieres,  “never  ceased  to  occupy  him  during  the  entire  progress 
of  a work.  Never  did  he  enter  the  Pantheon  while  he  was  engaged  on  the 
paintings  for  it  without  again  assuring  himself  of  the  general  hue  ot  the  stone 
by  comparison  with  a little  sample  that  he  always  carried  in  his  pocket.” 

Therefore,  all  strongly  individual  colors,  such  as  crimsons  and  vivid  yel- 
lows, either  disappeared  from  his  paintings,  or  were  allowed  to  remain  only 
in  very  diminished  tones;  and  he  availed  himself  more  and  more  of  light 
and  tender  hues — grays,  violets,  gray-greens,  blues,  and  especially  of  white 
— all  luminous  colors  which,  as  it  were,  rather  radiate  than  absorb  light.  As 
a result  his  canvases  seemed  bathed  in  a calm  glow;  a radiance  so  natural, 
however,  and  in  such  harmonious  accord  with  the  surrounding  illumination, 
that  only  on  examination  do  we  discover  how  very  luminous  it  is.  — from 
THE  FRENCH 

KENYON  COX  ‘MODERN  FRENCH  MASTERS’ 

PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES’  art  has  been  said  to  be  the  negation  of  every- 
thing that  has  always  been  counted  art,  and  to  be  based  on  the  omission 
of  drawing,  modeling,  light  and  shade,  and  even  color.  On  the  other  hand, 
his  admirers  think  him  a master  of  drawing  in  his  own  style,  and  certainly 
a master  of  color.  To  explain  these  seeming  contradictions;  to  show  the 

[4101 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


33 


reason  of  the  omissions  in  his  work,  which  do  not  arise  from  ignorance,  but 
are  distinctly  wilful;  to  exhibit  his  qualities,  and  give  a reason  for  the  hearty 
admiration  that  many  of  us  feel  for  him — this  is  the  difficult  task  before  me. 

To  begin  with,  one  must  remember  that  Puvis  de  Chavannes  is  above  all 
things  a decorator,  that  his  work  cannot  be  properly  judged  except  in  place. 
It  does  not  show  to  good  advantage  in  an  exhibition,  where  it  is  necessarily 
placed  in  contrast  with  works  done  on  radically  different  principles;  but  I 
have  seldom  seen  one  of  his  decorations  in  the  surroundings  for  which  it  was 
intended  without  being  struck  with  its  fitness  and  the  perfection  with  which 
it  served  its  purpose.  His  ‘Poor  Fisherman,’  hung  as  an  easel-picture  among 
other  easel-pictures  in  the  Luxembourg,  seems  almost  ludicrous.  It  was  said 
of  Millet’s  peasants  that  they  were  too  poor  to  afford  folds  in  their  garments; 
here  the  poverty  seems  even  more  abject,  and  drawing  and  color  seem  equally 
beyond  its  resources.  Transfer  the  contest  to  his  own  ground,  however,  and 
see  how  Puvis  de  Chavannes  in  his  turn  triumphs  over  those  who,  in  a gallery, 
utterly  crush  him  by  their  greater  strength  and  brilliancy  of  technique.  Go  to 
the  Pantheon  and  look  at  the  mural  pictures  executed  there  by  many  of  the 
foremost  of  the  French  painters,  and  I think  you  will  feel  that  there  is  just  one 
of  them  that  looks  like  a true  decoration,  exactly  fitted  for  the  place  it  occu- 
pies and  the  architecture  that  surrounds  it,  and  that  that  one  is  Puvis  de  Cha- 
vannes’. . . . Here  his  drawing,  with  all  its  omissions,  seems  austere  and 
noble;  and  his  pale  tints,  which  have  been  called  the  denial  of  color,  look 
here  like  the  only  true  color,  absolute  in  harmony,  a part  of  the  building  it- 
self— the  delicate  efflorescence,  as  it  were,  of  the  gray  walls.  . . . 

Of  course  it  would  be  easy  to  explain  this,  in  the  way  of  the  average  critic, 
by  loose  talk  about  feeling  and  sentiment  and  the  rest;  but  for  those  of  us 
who  believe  that  there  is  no  result  without  means,  that  the  important  thing 
is  not  what  the  artist  feels,  but  what  he  expresses,  and  that  all  expression 
must  be  by  technical  methods,  so  that  there  is  no  good  art  which  is  not  tech- 
nically good  — for  us  such  an  explanation  is  no  explanation.  The  feeling  and 
the  sentiment  are  there,  and  I shall  have  something  to  say  about  them  pres- 
ently; but  they  have  not  got  upon  the  wall  by  miracle,  but  by  the  use  of 
means  to  that  end;  and  when  we  find  Puvis  de  Chavannes  magnificently 
successful  where  others  fail,  we  begin  to  ask  ourselves  if  it  is  not,  perhaps, 
because  of  his  apparent  shortcomings,  rather  than  in  spite  of  them,  that  he 
succeeds,  and  whether  what  seem  like  technical  defects  are  not  really,  for  his 
purpose,  technical  merits. 

If  this  is  the  case,  one  would  expect  to  find  that  the  extreme  simplicity 
of  his  latter  style  was  acquired,  and  that  he  reached  it  by  a series  of  elimina- 
tions; and  one  has  only  to  go  to  the  museum  at  Amiens  to  convince  one’s 
self  of  the  truth  of  this  surmise.  ‘War’  and  ‘Peace,’  his  first  trials  at  grand 
decorative  art,  are  in  many  ways  singularly  unlike  the  Puvis  de  Chavannes  of 
his  later  years.  They  show  little  or  nothing  of  the  stiffness,  the  lack  of  accent, 
the  flatness  and  the  paleness  of  color  that  we  associate  with  his  name.  They 
are  the  work  of  a good  pupil  of  the  schools,  showing  already  something  of 
decorative  talent,  but  rather  turbulent  in  composition,  well  drawn  in  an  aca- 

[411] 


34 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


demic  style,  and  painted  with  full  modeling  and  with  an  almost  overstrong 
light  and  shade.  They  are  not  the  work  of  a master  of  realism,  but  they  are 
realistic  in  method  up  to  a certain  point.  There  is  in  ‘Peace’  the  back  of 
a female  figure  engaged  in  milking  a goat,  which  is  a very  good  bit  of  flesh- 
painting, white  and  plump,  with  redundant  modeling  and  nearly  black  shad- 
ows. The  “bits”  are  better  painted,  in  their  way,  than  anything  he  has  done 
since,  but  the  general  effect  is  spotty  and  unquiet;  the  pictures  cut  through, 
and  you  do  not  feel  the  flatness  of  the  wall.  The  great  law  of  decoration  is 
that  the  ornament  should  set  off  and  embellish,  but  never  disguise,  the  thing 
ornamented;  and  in  mural  painting  this  thing  is  the  wall,  and  its  essential 
qualities  of  flatness  and  extent  should  be  accentuated,  not  concealed.  Look 
now  at  the  pictures  painted  two  years  later,  ‘Work’  and  ‘Rest,’  and  see  how 
Puvis  de  Chavannes  is  learning  this  lesson.  The  drawing  is  even  more  able 
than  in  ‘War’  and  ‘Peace,’  but  the  light  and  shade  are  much  more  subordi- 
nated, and  inside  their  outlines  the  figures  are  nearly  flat.  The  landscape,  too, 
is  kept  in  simpler  and  flatter  masses,  though  with  some  beautiful  detail.  Indi- 
vidual figures  are  singularly  lovely,  some  of  them  as  classically  beautiful  as 
the  work  of  Ingres,  not  to  say  of  Raphael. 

If  you  have  once  studied  and  understood  these  compositions,  you  will  never 
believe  that  the  apparent  absence  of  form  in  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  later  work 
is  other  than  intentional.  Take  one  step  more,  and  regard  the  vast  compo- 
sition called  ‘Ave  Picardia  Nutrix,’  and  you  will  begin  to  see  that  the  indi- 
vidual beauties  of ‘Work’  and  ‘Rest’  are  too  prominent,  that  you  have  no- 
ticed too  much  this  back  and  the  other  arm,  and  that  things  charming  in 
themselves  may  nevertheless  be  prejudicial  to  the  general  effect — that  it  is 
possible  for  the  decoration  to  be  better  while  the  details  are  less  noticeably 
perfect.  Nothing  could  be  finer  in  large  decorative  effect  and  general  bal- 
ance, and  no  one  part  forces  itself  upon  your  attention,  yet  individual  figures 
are  exquisitely  beautiful  in  their  slightly  simplified  but  adequate  drawing. 
The  color  is  quiet  and  less  strong  than  in  earlier  work,  but  not  without  full- 
ness and  beauty.  Opposite  it  stands  the  ‘Ludus  pro  Patria’  of  fifteen  years 
later,  and,  looking  from  one  to  the  other,  one  may  be  pardoned  for  wonder- 
ing if  the  process  of  simplification  and  omission  has  not  gone  too  far.  1 he 
effect  is  as  fine,  perhaps,  as  in  the  ‘Ave  Picardia  Nutrix’;  but  one  misses  the 
charm  of  detail  and  the  refinement  of  form.  Discarding  our  modern  realism, 
Puvis  de  Chavannes  has  gone  back  as  far  as  Raphael.  Was  it  necessary  to 
go  further?  Simplicity  is  good,  but  does  it  entail  so  much  sacrifice?  Per- 
haps not;  for  there  is  more  than  one  way  of  attaining  decorative  effect,  and 
Veronese  and  Raphael  were  great  decorators  as  well  as  Giotto. 

The  titles  of  two  of  his  great  paintings  at  Lyons  give  a hint  of  the  ele- 
ments of  his  artistic  nature:  ‘Vision  Antique — Symbol  de  la  Forme’  and 
‘Inspiration  Chretienne — Symbol  du  Sentiment,’  as  the  catalogue  of  the 
Salon  has  it.  A desire  for  Greek  simplicity  and  grandeur,  a desire  for  Gothic 
sentiment  and  directness  of  expression — these  two  desires  pushed  him  for- 
ward to  new  and  ever  new  suppressions  of  the  useless,  the  insignificant, 
the  cumbrous.  He  came  to  leave  out  not  only  every  detail  that  might  in- 

1412] 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


35 


terfere  with  the  effect  of  the  whole,  but  every  detail  that  was  not  absolutely 
necessary  to  the  expression  of  the  whole.  He  eliminated  now  for  the  sake 
of  perfect  clarity  and  now  for  the  sake  of  quaint  simplicity.  On  the  classic 
side  his  highest  expression  is  perhaps  in  ‘The  Sacred  Grove.’  Could  the  sense 
of  idyllic  peace  and  noble  tranquillity  be  more  perfectly  rendered?  At  first 
sight  the  drawing  may  seem  simple  and  almost  childish,  and  one  may  think 
it  easy  to  do  the  like;  but  there  is  the  knowledge  of  a lifetime  in  these  grand 
lines,  and  they  are  simple  only  as  a Greek  statue  is  simple.  There  are  antique 
figures  that  look  almost  wooden  in  their  lack  of  detail  and  of  fleshy  modeling, 
and  yet  in  which  the  more  you  know  the  more  you  shall  find,  until  you  are 
astonished  at  the  learning  which  neglected  nothing  while  omitting  so  much. 

Giotto  and  Fra  Angelico  have  also  had  their  influence  on  Puvis  de  Cha- 
vannes,  and  he  has  felt,  as  have  so  many  others,  the  wonderful  effect  of  their 
rigidly  simple  works.  Doubtless  they  were  decorative  by  instinct,  and  simple 
because  they  knew  no  better,  and  left  out  facts  which  they  had  never  learned 
to  put  in.  Is  that  a reason  why  a modern  painter  may  not  learn  their  lesson, 
and  knowingly  sacrifice  much  that  we  have  learned,  and  which  they  never 
knew,  for  the  sake  of  attaining  their  clearness  and  directness  of  expression? 
The  system  is  capable  of  abuse,  as  imitators  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes  have 
shown  us;  and  one  must  be  very  sincere  and  very  earnest  not  to  make  an 
empty  parody.  It  is  not  enough  to  leave  out  the  unessential;  one  must  have 
something  essential  to  say.  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  at  his  best,  is  absolutely 
grand  and  absolutely  sincere;  and  while  he  sacrifices,  it  is  for  the  sake  of  ex- 
pressing a lofty  and  pure  sentiment  in  a chastened  but  all  the  more  effective 
style. 

But,  besides  the  admirer  of  the  Greeks  and  of  the  primitives,  there  is  also  in 
Puvis  de  Chavannes  the  man  of  this  latter  end  of  the  nineteenth  century,  of  the 
epoch  of  impressionism  and  the  school  of  plein  air.  Nothing  is  more  curious  in 
the  history  of  art  than  the  way  in  which  the  continued  study  of  chiaroscuro  has 
brought  modern  painting  back  by  a devious  route  to  the  shadelessness  of  the 
primitives.  The  early  painters  had  no  light  and  shade,  as  the  Japanese  have 
none.  After  all  other  possibilities  of  light  and  shade  had  been  exhausted,  the 
artists  of  our  day  began  to  study  the  model  out-of-doors  in  gray  daylight,  and 
lo!  the  effect  is  almost  that  of  the  early  frescos,  but  with  a difference.  There 
is  almost  as  little  shade,  but  there  is  more  study  of  values — that  is,  of  the  exact 
relative  degree  of  light  or  dark  of  each  object  as  compared  with  other  objects 
and  with  the  sky.  In  the  use  of  this  truth  of  value  Puvis  de  Chavannes  has 
added  something  new  to  the  art  of  decorative  painting,  and  in  this  and  in  his 
study  of  landscape  he  is  singularly  modern.  His  earlier  backgrounds  are  en- 
tirely classic,  but  gradually  landscape  occupies  a greater  and  greater  place  in 
his  work.  In  the  ‘Ludus  pro  Patria’the  landscape  is  the  really  important  thing, 
and  the  figures  are  more  or  less  incidental;  and  this  is  even  truer  of  other 
compositions,  such  as  the  great  landscapes  called  ‘Summer’ and  ‘Winter,’  in 
the  Paris  Hotel  de  Ville.  In  these  the  figures  arc  relatively  of  little  more 
importance  than  in  many  a painting  by  Corot,  and  they  are  real  landscape 
pictures,  as  I have  called  them.  Of  course  depth  and  mystery  and  the  illu- 

[4  13] 


36 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


sion  of  light  are  not  sought  by  the  painter,  who  is  decorator  first  and  land- 
scapist afterward;  the  foregrounds  are  much  conventionalized  and  detail  is 
eliminated.  He  remains  the  simplifier  in  landscape  as  in  the  figure;  but  the 
essentials  of  landscape  are  studied  with  wonderful  thoroughness,  and  for  tone, 
value,  color,  and  large  form,  no  modern  landscape  is  better  than  that  of  Puvis 
de  Chavannes.  . . . 

Of  course  the  work  of  no  man  remains  always  at  its  highest  level,  and  it  is 
hard  for  any  one  to  escape  the  defects  of  his  qualities.  After  the  long  training 
in  elimination,  what  wonder  if  the  master  sometimes  seems  oblivious  of  the 
things  he  has  so  striven  to  subordinate,  and  if  there  are  passages  in  some  of 
his  latest  work  where  drawing  ceases  to  be  simplified  and  becomes  falsified? 
You  will  find  now  and  again  in  his  pictures  an  ankle  or  a wrist  that  is  out  of 
drawing,  feeble,  and  boneless,  or  a body  that  is  ill-constructed  and  wrongly  put 
together.  He  who  has  learned  to  forget  has  sometimes  forgotten  too  much. 

A classicist  of  the  classicists,  a primitive  of  the  primitives,  a modern  of 
the  moderns,  Puvis  de  Chavannes  is,  above  all,  an  individual  and  original 
artist,  and  to  copy  his  methods  would  be  to  learn  ill  the  lesson  he  teaches. 
His  style  is  indissolubly  bound  up  with  his  message;  his  manner  is  the  only 
one  fit  to  express  what  he  alone  has  to  say.  It  would  be  but  an  ill-fitting, 
second-hand  garment  for  another.  But  let  us  learn  from  him  that  imitation 
is  not  art,  that  the  whole  is  greater  than  the  parts,  and  that  art  in  service  is 
the  freest  art  and  the  noblest.  All  fact  and  all  research  are  grist  to  the  mill 
of  art,  but  they  are  not  bread  until  ground  and  kneaded  and  baked.  I,  for 
one,  believe  that  the  day  of  mere  fact  and  of  mere  research  is  nearly  ended, 
and  the  day  of  the  isolated  easel-picture,  too.  We  are  already  taking  the  first 
steps  even  here  in  America;  and  before  very  long  we  shall  have  come  back 
to  the  old  true  notion  that  the  highest  aim  of  art  is  to  make  some  useful  thing 
beautiful.  Art  will  again  enter  that  service  which  is  for  it  the  most  perfect 
freedom,  and  as  the  highest  aim  of  the  painter  will  be  to  beautify  the  walls 
of  the  temples  and  palaces  of  the  people,  so  the  highest  name  he  will  give 
himself  will  be  that  of  “decorator.” 


Cfir  iPorits  of  ipuVits  te  Clja'uanitcs 

DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  PLATES 

‘THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  ST.  GENEVIEVE’  PLATE  I 

THIS  picture  in  the  Pantheon,  or  Church  of  St.  Genevieve,  Paris,  is 
based  upon  the  following  legend:  “In  the  year  cdxxix  St.  Germanus, 
Bishop  of  Auxerre,  and  St.  Loup,  Bishop  of  Troyes,  journeying  on  their  way 
into  England  there  to  combat  the  Pelagian  heresy,  arrived  in  the  environs 
of  Nanterre;  and  amongst  those  who  ran  to  greet  them  was  a child  upon 
whose  countenance  St.  Germanus  saw  the  sign  of  God’s  hand.  He  greeted 
her,  and  foretold  to  her  parents  her  high  destiny.”  This  child  was  St.  Gene- 
vieve, who  was  to  become  the  patron  saint  of  Paris. 

[414] 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


3'/ 


The  picture  is  divided  by  columns  into  three  panels.  In  the  right  panel, 
among  other  figures,  women  are  milking  a cow  for  the  thirsty  travelers;  in 
the  left  boatmen  have  drawn  to  the  bank  the  skiff  on  which  the  bishops  are 
to  embark,  while  behind  a sick  man  is  borne  from  his  hut  to  receive  their 
healing  touch.  The  central  panel,  shown  in  plate  I,  depicts  St.  Germanus 
with  St.  Loup  beside  him,  laying  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the  child  Gene- 
vieve, while  her  parents  listen  to  his  words  with  awed  faces,  and  all  about 
kneel  the  reverent  onlookers. 

None  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  canvases  better  illustrates  the  peculiar  qual- 
ities of  his  art — a skill  in  composition  so  perfect  that  no  thought  of  artifice 
enters  the  spectator’s  mind;  the  simple  breadth  of  execution ; the  impressive- 
ness of  the  landscape  background  which  seems  indissolubly  linked  with  the 
scene  which  it  enframes  and  completes;  the  attainment  of  a marvelous  lumi- 
nousness of  effect  through  a scheme  of  pale  coloring,  which  has  here  the  ex- 
quisite delicacy  of  a pastel  in  its  scale  of  blues,  violets,  pale  rose,  and  mauve, 
till  it  seems  hardly  more  than  the  iridescence  of  the  white  stone  which  sur- 
rounds it;  and,  above  all,  the  mood-inspiring  quality  of  the  whole. 

‘PEACE  ’ PLATE  II 

THIS  picture,  first  exhibited  at  the  Salon  of  1861,  together  with  its  com- 
panion subject,  ‘War,’  was  one  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes’  earliest  essays 
in  mural  decoration.  It  was  purchased  by  the  state,  and  later  presented  to  the 
Musee  de  Picardie,  at  Amiens,  which  it  now  adorns.  It  is  an  idyl,  heroic  in 
conception  and  proportions.  The  scene  is  laid  in  an  Arcadian  valley,  sheltered 
by  rocky  hills  and  shady  groves.  Here,  war  over,  the  youthful  warriors  have 
laid  aside  their  arms  to  repose  on  the  fresh  sward,  while  fair  women  bring 
them  the  peaceful  fruits  of  the  earth.  An  undraped  girl  in  the  foreground 
milks  a goat;  another  offers  grapes  to  a youth  seated  by  the  edge  of  a stream, 
and  near-by  a young  warrior  dreams  of  deeds  accomplished.  About  the  pink 
blossoming  oleander  which  marks  the  center  of  this  group  other  figures  drink 
or  converse;  and  at  the  right  peasants,  led  by  a girl,  bring  baskets  of  fruits 
across  a running  brook.  On  the  other  side  of  the  composition  horses  are 
tethered  in  the  shade,  and  their  masters  join  in  peaceful  sports. 

A comparison  of  this  early  canvas  with  those  of  later  date  shown  in  the 
other  plates  of  the  present  number  will  clearly  exhibit  Puvis  de  Chavannes’ 
progress  in  mural  art.  His  composition,  here  somewhat  huddled  and  restless, 
becomes  simpler  and  more  widely  spaced;  contrasts  of  light  and  shade  give 
place  to  pale,  even  illumination;  the  drawing  both  of  figures  and  landscape 
is  reduced  to  broad  elementary  lines;  all  striking  “bits”  are  sacrificed;  and 
the  whole  is  flattened,  clarified,  and  simplified. 

‘THE  SACRED  GROVE,  DEAR  TO  THE  ARTS  AND  THE  MUSES’  PLATE  111 

IN  this  allegory,  which  adorns  the  Palais  des  Arts  at  Lyons,  Puvis  de  Cha- 
vannes has  interpreted,  after  his  own  characteristic  fashion,  a subject 
which,  under  various  titles,  has  furnished  matter  for  many  pictures. 

In  ‘The  Sacred  Grove,’  adorned  by  a marble  portico,  hedged  in  by  forests 

[4  15] 


38 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


of  olive-trees  and  ilex  and  encircled  by  violet  hills,  upon  the  margin  of  a clear 
lake  which  reflects  the  golden  clouds  of  twilight  and  the  crescent  of  the  new 
moon,  the  muses  are  assembled  on  a greensward  where  flowers  gleam  like 
stars.  Calliope,  the  muse  of  poetic  inspiration,  declaims  with  stately  gesture 
to  her  listening  sisters;  and  Euterpe  and  Thalia,  heralding  their  coming  by 
song  and  the  sound  of  the  lyre,  float  through  the  air  above.  On  the  right 
two  attendant  children  are  making  laurel  wreaths. 

‘HISTORY’  PLATE  IV 

THE  only  commission  that  Puvis  de  Chavannes  received  for  the  decora- 
tion of  any  public  building  outside  France  came  from  the  United  States. 
Between  1895  and  1897  he  painted  for  the  staircase  of  the  newly  erected 
Library  of  the  City  of  Boston  one  large  composition  and  eight  subsidiary 
panels.  The  larger  composition  is  entitled  ‘The  Muses  of  Inspiration  Hail 
the  Spirit,  the  Harbinger  of  Light,’  and  the  eight  subsidiary  panels  depict, 
respectively,  ‘Dramatic  Poetry,’  ‘Epic  Poetry,’  ‘Pastoral  Poetry,’  ‘Astron- 
omy,’ ‘Philosophy,’  ‘Chemistry,’  ‘Physics,’  and  ‘History.’  The  last  subject 
is  that  here  reproduced. 

In  a dull  red  mantle  and  white  underdress,  the  muse  of  History,  crowned 
with  a wreath  of  golden  laurel  leaves,  evokes  the  past  from  the  buried  en- 
trance of  an  ancient  temple.  Beside  her  an  attendant  genius  holds  a torch  and 
book.  The  tones  of  the  hillside  in  the  foreground  are  russets  and  browns, 
merging,  where  vegetation  covers  the  upper  slopes,  into  grayish  greens.  On 
the  horizon  great  trees  lift  their  trunks  against  a turquoise  sky.  The  panel 
is  dated  1896. 

‘HEMICYCLE  OF  THE  SORBONNE’  PLATE  V 

THIS  immense  semicircular  composition  was  painted  to  adorn  the  apse 
of  the  amphitheatrical  lecture-hall,  capable  of  holding  three  thousand 
persons,  of  the  Sorbonne,  the  University  of  Paris.  The  subject  of  the  alle- 
gory is  ‘Letters,  Sciences,  and  Arts.’ 

In  the  center,  dominating  the  composition,  sits  the  figure  of  the  Sorbonne, 
while  beside  her  stand  youths  ready  to  reward  the  eminent  living  and  dead 
with  crowns  of  laurel  or  branches  of  palms.  From  before  her  throne  flows 
the  pure  stream  of  learning,  from  which  youths  and  an  old  man  drink. 

To  the  left  of  the  Sorbonne,  Eloquence  declaims,  and  the  groups  of  women 
on  her  left  and  right  represent  the  various  forms  of  human  expression  — 
Poetry,  Drama,  Satire,  Fable,  and  the  like.  A group  further  to  the  left  sym- 
bolizes Philosophy  under  the  guise  of  a discussion  about  death:  a woman 
in  somber  garments  holds  a skull,  considering  death  the  end  of  all  things; 
another  in  a richer  garb  holds  a flower  before  her,  expressing  the  idea  of  the 
renewal  of  life;  Doubt,  a white-haired  man,  reflects;  Spirituality,  a woman 
in  the  gray  dress  of  a convent,  makes  a gesture  of  aspiration.  Beyond,  a 
beautiful  figure  typifies  History,  to  whom  a youth,  drawing  back  the  branches 
of  a shrub,  reveals  an  antique  inscription.  1 he  left  end  of  the  canvas  is  filled 
by  workmen  excavating  an  ancient  wall,  and  an  old  man  with  written  scrolls. 

[416] 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


39 


The  middle  of  the  right  half  of  the  canvas  is  occupied  by  a group  of  the 
Natural  Sciences:  Botany,  seated,  holds  a flowering  branch  upon  her  knees; 
next  her  stand  the  Sea  and  the  Land,  the  former  bearing  a shell,  the  latter  a rock 
crystal;  near  them  a child,  scapel  in  hand,  leans  to  catch  a lizard,  while  an- 
other examines  with  wonder  a vial  of  microbe  culture;  and  Mineralogy  is  typ- 
ified by  an  old  woman  leaning  upon  a rock.  To  the  extreme  right  the  Mathe- 
matical Sciences  are  represented  by  a group  of  three  students  absorbed  in  a 
problem  of  geometry;  and  behind  them  ardent  youths  swear  to  consecrate 
their  lives  to  Physics,  a veiled  figure  upon  a pedestal. 

‘CHRISTIAN  INSPIRATION’  PLATE  VI 

THIS  picture,  in  the  Lyons  Palais  des  Arts,  shows  the  interior  of  a me- 
dieval cloister.  A painter  friar,  who  might  be  Fra  Angelico,  has  come 
down  from  his  ladder  to  study  the  effect  of  the  last  touch  he  has  added  to  a 
fresco,  while  three  pupils  observe  his  work  with  concentrated  attention.  In 
the  foreground  another  is  busy  with  a portfolio  of  sketches,  and,  behind,  a 
monk  hangs  a lamp  before  a shrine  of  the  Madonna,  while  others  talk  or  med- 
itate. Outside  the  red-tiled  cloister  wall  a new  moon  begins  to  glow  in  the 
gold-green  evening  sky,  and  the  sunset  light  turns  the  lonely  hillside,  with 
its  somber  cypresses,  to  hues  of  violet.  It  is  the  hour  when  belated  travelers 
ask  a night’s  refuge  at  the  convent  gate;  and  we  see  monks  receiving  them 
and  giving  alms.  The  effect  of  the  whole  picture  is  one  of  twilight  hush,  tran- 
quillity, and  cloistral  peace. 

•ANTIQUE  VISION’  PLATE  VII 

UPON  a rocky  slope, amid  orange  and  fig  trees, are  disposed  nude  or  draped 
figures — a youth  playing  upon  pan-pipes,  a girl  sporting  with  a goat,  oth- 
ers reclining,  or  dreaming,  or  engaged  in  simple  tasks.  Above,  upon  a height, 
stands  the  august  figure  of  a Muse  holding  out  to  a wondering  sculptor  a golden 
mallet  and  chisel  that  he  may  reproduce  in  marble  a white  cavalcade  of  youths, 
like  the  Panathenaic  procession  of  the  Parthenon  frieze,  which  gallops  out 
along  the  shore  from  a grove  of  pale  silver-green  olive-trees.  Beyond  a cliff 
of  amethystine  hues  rises  from  an  azure  sea.  Such  is  the  composition  of  the 
‘Antique  Vision’  of  the  Lyons  Palais  des  Arts. 

The  landscape  plays  perhaps  the  chief  part  in  the  charm  of  this  picture; 
and  though  Puvis  de  Chavannes  used  to  smile  when  its  “Hellenic  quality” 
was  spoken  of,  saying  bluntly  that  it  was  merely  a view  off  the  Point  of 
Pharo  at  Marseilles,  it  well  exhibits  his  power  of  casting  an  ideal  glamour  over 
a scene  based  upon  actuality. 

‘THE  POOR  FISHERMAN’  P I.  A T E V I 1 1 

THIS  canvas,  painted  in  1881,  and  bought  by  the  French  government  in 
1 887,  now  hangs  in  the  Luxembourg  Gallery,  Paris.  It  is  Puvis  de  Cha- 
vannes’ best  known  and  most  characteristic  easel-picture.  It  was  evidently 
inspired  by  the  painter’s  frequent  visits  to  the  estuary  of  the  Seine  near  Hon- 
fleur,  where  the  desolate  beauty  of  the  dunes  and  the  fitness  of  such  a setting 

[417] 


40 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


for  the  lives  of  the  poor  fisherfolk  who  live  by  hard  and  uncertain  labor  upon 
them  impressed  him  deeply. 

The  picture  shows  us  a gloomy  sky,  a waste  of  gray  waters,  a flat  coast, 
a boat  moored  to  the  shore,  and  at  its  bow  the  poor  fisherman,  waiting  with 
folded  hands  for  his  net  to  fill.  On  the  bank  lies  an  unswaddled  baby;  and 
near-by  a girl  gathers  the  sparse  flowers.  “The  whole,”  writes  Prince  Kara- 
georgevitch,  “is  executed  with  a determined  grayness  that  is  hardly  pictorial 
at  all — pictorial  at  least  in  the  sense  of  illusion;  and  leaves  an  impression 
on  the  mind  as  of  a tale  that  has  been  told — unsubstantial,  almost  unreal.  In 
its  abasement  and  utter  lack  of  hope  the  figure  of  the  poor  fisherman  irre- 
sistibly recalls  some  of  the  more  tragic  figures  of  Millet’s  peasants.” 

‘INTER  ARTES  ET  NATURAM'  PLATE  IX 

THE  setting  of  this  allegory  of  the  Arts  and  Nature,  which  decorates  the 
Rouen  Museum,  is  a real  scene.  In  the  background  we  see  the  curve 
of  the  Seine  between  the  lie  Lacroix  and  Malaunay,  while  hazy  in  the  blue 
distance  spreads  the  city  of  Rouen,  crowned  with  its  towers  and  spires.  The 
figures  are  disposed  upon  a terrace,  which,  though  imagined  by  the  artist 
when  the  picture  was  painted,  has  since  been  built  on  the  site. 

At  the  left  a young  girl  paints  on  a plaque  of  Rouen  ware  a tulip  which 
another  holds  before  her;  a lad  with  a tray  of  pottery  ready  for  firing  follows 
the  work  attentively,  while  a woman  reclining  in  the  foreground  watches  three 
workmen  who  are  setting  in  place  architectural  fragments  of  various  periods 
— specimens  for  some  museum.  Near  the  center  a young  mother  bends  down 
an  apple  bough  toward  her  eager  child,  and  a boy  drags  a spray  of  trailing 
vine  to  serve  as  a new  motive  to  the  painter  of  the  plaque.  On  the  right 
three  young  artists,  gathered  beneath  a tree,  discuss  the  pose  of  a model,  who 
stands  at  the  extreme  left  of  the  canvas,  while  a fourth,  elbow  on  knee,  studies 
the  lines  of  the  growing  plants  beside  him.  The  whole  glows  with  a serene 
translucent  light.  The  distance  is  veiled  by  luminous  bluish  haze,  the  men’s 
garments  are  of  dull  grays  and  blues,  the  women’s  gowns  are  of  pale,  tender 
tones,  while  the  blossoms  of  the  iris  about  the  fountain-basin,  and  small  flow- 
ers, yellow  and  white,  dot  the  greensward  with  isolated  points  of  color. 

Puvis  de  Chavannes  was  reproached  by  some  of  his  critics  (though  why 
it  should  be  a reproach  is  difficult  to  conceive)  of  systematically  excluding 
modern  costumes  from  his  decorative  compositions.  In  the  ‘Inter  Artes  et 
Naturam,’  however,  he  has  employed  costumes,  which  if  not  in  the  latest 
fashion,  are  distinctly  modern,  though  this  was  probably  intended  not  as  an 
answer  to  his  critics  but  because  the  allegory  was  to  decorate  the  museum 
of  a city  esteemed  for  the  creations  of  her  modern  artists  and  artisans. 

‘WINTER’  PLATE  X 

FOR  the  Paris  Hotel  de  Ville  Puvis  de  Chavannes  painted,  during  1891 
and  1 892,  two  important  wall  panels,  one  entitled  ‘Winter’  and  the  other 
‘Summer.’  The  former,  the  subject  of  plate  x,  shows  a snowy  landscape 
under  a cold,  leaden  sky.  Standing  beside  a poplar  which  he  has  notched 

[418] 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 


41 


at  its  base,  a forester  gives  the  signal  to  three  half-naked  woodmen  to  pull  on 
the  rope  attached  to  the  top  of  the  tree.  In  the  foreground  is  the  figure  of 
a woman  with  a staff,  and  a laborer  loads  his  companion  with  fagots.  To 
the  right  a poor  woman  has  taken  refuge  in  the  ruin  of  some  stone  habitation, 
which  also  shelters  an  old  man.  To  her  a compassionate  woodman  offers  a 
loaf  of  bread,  while  another  warms  the  half-frozen  limbs  of  a little  child  at 
a fire  of  twigs.  In  the  distance  are  seen  mounted  huntsmen  returning  from 
the  chase,  with  servants  carrying  the  carcass  of  a stag. 


A LIST  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  PAINTINGS  BY  PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 
IN  PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  OR  GALLERIES 

FRANCE.  Amiens,  Musee  de  Picardie:  Peace,  1861  (Platen);  War,  1S61;  Work, 
1863;  Rest,  1863;  Standard-bearer,  1864;  Desolation,  1864;  Harvester,  1864;  Spin- 
ner, 1864;  Ave  Picardia  Nutrix,  1865;  Ludus  pro  Patria,  1882  — Champagnat  Church  : 
Ecce  Homo,  1851  — Chartres  Museum  : Harvest,  1870  — Lille  Museum  : Sleep,  1 8 64; 
Portrait  of  the  Artist  — Lyons,  Palais  des  Arts:  Autumn,  1864;  The  Sacred  Grove, 
dear  to  the  Arts  and  the  Muses,  1884  (Plate  hi);  Antique  Vision,  1S85  (Plate  vu); 
The  Rhone  and  the  Saone,  1886;  Christian  Inspiration,  1887  (Plate  vi)  — Marseilles, 
Palais  de  Longchamp:  Return  from  Hunting,  1859;  Marseilles,  Gate  of  the  East,  1868; 
Marseilles,  Greek  Colony,  1869 — Paris,  Hotel  de  Ville:  Summer,  1891;  Winter, 
1892  (Plate  x);  Four  Panels  of  The  Seasons,  1891—1893;  Victor  Hugo  Offering  his  Lyre 
to  the  City  of  Paris,  1893,  with  Subsidiary  Panels  representing  the  Virtues  of  Paris,  and 
Ancient  Paris  and  Modern  Paris  — Paris,  Luxembourg  Gallery:  The  Poor  Fisherman, 
1881  (Plate  vin)  — Paris,  Pantheon:  The  Childhood  of  St.  Genevieve,  in  two  panels: 
(1)  St.  Germanus  Predicting  Genevieve’s  High  Calling  (see  Plate  1),  (2)  St.  Genevieve  in 
Prayer,  1876-77,  with  Two  Subsidiary  Panels:  (1)  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity  Watching 
over  Genevieve’s  Cradle,  (2)  The  Legendary  Saints  of  France,  1877;  St.  Genevieve  Pro- 
visioning Paris,  1898;  St.  Genevieve  Watching  over  Sleeping  Paris,  1898  — Paris,  The 
Sorbonne:  Hemicycle  representing  The  Letters,  Sciences,  and  Arts,  1889  (Plate  v)  — 
Poitiers,  H&tel  de  Ville:  St.  Radegunda  at  the  Convent  of  Sainte-Croix,  1872;  Charles 
Martel,  Conqueror  of  the  Saracens,  1874  — Rouen  Museum:  Inter  Artes  et  Naturam, 
1890  (Plate  ix);  Pottery,  1891;  Ceramics,  1891 — ITALY.  Florence,  Uffizi  Gal- 
lery: Portrait  of  the  Artist  — UNITED  STATES.  Boston  Public  Library:  The 
Muses  of  Inspiration  Hail  the  Spirit,  Harbinger  of  Light,  1S95,  with  eight  Supplementary 
Panels,  (1)  Pastoral  Poetry,  (2)  Dramatic  Poetry,  (3)  Epic  Poetry,  (4)  History  (Plate  iv), 
(5)  Astronomy,  (6)  Philosophy,  (7)  Chemistry,  (8)  Physics,  1896—97. 


PICTURES  IN  PRIVATE  POSSESSION 

PIETA,  1850;  Jean  Cavalier  at  the  Bedside  of  his  Dving  Mother,  1850;  Four  Seasons, 
and  Return  of  the  Prodigal  (painted  for  his  brother’s  country  house),  1854;  Martyr- 
dom of  St.  Sebastian,  1857;  Meditation,  1857;  Village  Firemen,  1857;  Salome,  1857; 
St.  Camille,  1857;  Julie,  1857;  Fantasy,  Vigilance,  Dreams,  Poetry  (painted  for  the  house 
of  Mme.  Claude  Vignon),  1859;  At  the  Fountain,  1869;  Beheading  ot  John  the  Baptist, 
1870;  Magdalen  (Cheramy  Collection),  1870;  Young  Girls  and  Death,  1872;  Hope,  1872; 
Summer,  1873;  The  Carrier  Pigeon  and  The  Balloon  (given  to  a Lottery  organized  in 
1874  in  Chicago  after  the  fire  in  that  city),  1871;  Fisherman’s  Family,  1S75;  Girls  by 
the  Seashore,  1879;  The  Prodigal  Son,  1879;  ‘ Dotix  Pays’  (painted  for  the  house  of 
M.  Leon  Bonnat),  1882;  Woman  at  hcrToilet,  1883;  Portrait  of  the  Princess  Cantacuzcne, 
1883;  Fhc  Dream,  1883;  Orpheus,  1883;  Autumn,  1883. 


[ 4 1 9 J 


42 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


guilts  tie  Clja'uamtrs  9StI)ltograpi)j> 


A LIST  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  BOOKS  AND  MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 
DEALING  WITH  PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 

fNARD,  M.  Les  Peintures  decoratives  de  Puvis  de  Chavannes  au  Palais  des  Arts, 


Lyon.  Lyons,  1SS4 — Bell,  N.  R.  E.  Representative  Painters  of  the  xix  Century. 
London,  1899  — Benedite,  L.  Les  dessins  de  Puvis  de  Chavannes  au  Musee  du  Luxem- 
bourg. Paris,  1900  — Breton,  J.  Nos  peintres  du  siecle.  Paris  [1900]  — Bricon,  E. 
Psychologie  d’art.  Paris,  1900  — Brownell,  W.  C.  French  Art.  New  York,  1901  — 
Child,  T.  Art  and  Criticism.  New  York,  1892  — Cox,  K.  Puvis  de  Chavannes  (in 
Van  Dyke’s  Modern  French  Masters).  New  York,  1896 — De  Vogue,  E.  M.  Devant 
1’ Ete  (in  his  Regards  historiques  et  litteraires).  Paris,  1892  — Du  Marest,  A.  ATravers 
1’ ideal.  Paris,  1901  — Ebe,  G.  Die  Dekorationsformen  des  i9ten Jahrhunderts.  Leipsic, 
1900  — Gonse,  L.  Les  Chefs-d’oeuvre  des  Musees  de  France.  Paris,  1900  — Hamerton, 
P.  G.  Painting  in  France.  London,  1869  — King,  P.  American  Mural  Painting.  Bos- 
ton, 1902  — Kingsley,  Rose  G.  A History  of  French  Art,  1100-1899.  London,  1899 
- — Larroumet,  L.  B.  C.  P.  Etudes  de  litterature  et  d’art.  Paris,  1895 — Lf.  Roux,  H. 
Puvis  de  Chavannes  (in  his  Portraits  de  Cire).  Paris,  1891- — MacColl,  D.  S.  Nineteenth 
Century  Art.  Glasgow,  1902  — Mauclair,  C.  L’art  en  silence.  Paris,  1901  — Mi- 
chel, A.  Notes  sur  Part  moderne.  Paris,  1896  — Moore,  G.  Modern  Painting.  New 
York,  1893 — Muther,  R.  History  of  Modern  Painting.  NewYork,  1896  — Muther, 
R.  Ein  Jahrhundert  franzosischer  Malerei.  Berlin,  1901 — Riortor,  L.  Essai  sur  Puvis 
de  Chavannes.  Paris,  1896  — Rood,  L.  L.  Puvis  de  Chavannes.  Boston,  1895  — Stran- 
ahan,  C.  H.  History  of  French  Painting.  NewYork,  1895  — Vachon,  M.  Puvis  de 
Chavannes.  Paris  [1900]. 


\T  et  Decoration,  1898:  L.  Benedite;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Art  Journal,  i 895 : 


J.  Bernac;  The  New  Style  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Art  Journal,  1896:  J.  Cart- 
wright; Puvis  de  Chavannes — Athen^um,  1899:  A.  Michel;  Mourning  for  Puvis  de 
Chavannes  — Atlantic  Monthly,  1897:  C.  Waern;  Decorations  in  Boston  Public  Li- 
brary— Century  Magazine,  1896:  Kenyon  Cox;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Deutsche 
Rundschau,  1897:  W.  Gensel;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Figaro  Illustre  (special  num- 
ber), 1899:  A.  Alexandre;  Puvis  de  Chavannes — Gazette  des  Beaux-Arts,  1881: 

A.  Baigneres;  La  Peinture  decorative  au  xixe  siecle,  Puvis  de  Chavannes.  1888:  A.  Michel; 
Exposition  de  Puvis  de  Chavannes.  1896:  A.  Rehan;  Puvis  de  Chavannes.  1898:  Anon. ; 
Puvis  de  Chavannes.  1899:  J.  Buisson;  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  souvenirs  intimes  — Gesell- 
schaFT,  1899:  M.  G.  Conrad;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  und  Felic  Rops  — Graphischen 
Kunste,  1891 : A.  Michel;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Harper’s  Magazine,  1902:  L.  Roger- 
Miles;  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  Caricaturist  — Harper’s  Weekly,  1896:  T.  Sisson;  New 
Panels  for  Boston  Public  Library  — International  Studio,  1899:  G.  Mourey;  Some 
Sketches  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes — Kunst  fur  Alle,  1898:  G.  Keyssner;  Puvis  de  Cha- 
vannes— Kunsthalle,  1899:  W.  Gensel;  Wort  uber  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — La  Plume, 
1895  (special  number  on  Puvis  de  Chavannes) — Magazine  of  Art,  1885:  C.  Phillips; 
Puvis  de  Chavannes.  1893:6.  Karageorgevitch;  Puvis  de  Chavannes — McClure’s  Mag- 
azine, 1897:  W.  H.  Low;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Modern  Art,  1895:  L.  L.  Rood; 
Puvis  de  Chavannes.  1895:  R.  Ballu;  Puvis  de  Chavannes — Nation  (Berlin),  1898: 

B.  Riittenauer;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Nouvelle  Revue,  1895:  M.  Vachon;  Puvis  de 
Chavannes — Pall  Mall  Magazine,  1899:  M.  v.  Vorst;  Puvis  de  Chavannes- — Revue 
Bleue,  1 900:  P.  Flat;  Dessins  de  Puvis  de  Chavannes — Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,  i 898  : 
R.  de  la  Sizeranne;  Puvis  de  Chavannes  — Revue  de  Paris,  1895:  A.  Renan;  Puvis  de 
Chavannes  — Revue  Illustree,  1894:  L.  de  Fourcaud;  Puvis  de  Chavannes — Scrib- 
ner’s Magazine,  1900:  J.  La  Farge;  Puvis  de  Chavannes.  — Zeitschrift  fur  bildende 
Kunst,  1899:  R.  Gratil;  Puvis  de  Chavannes. 


magazine  articles 


[420] 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


PUVIS  DE  CHAVANNES 

The  Chavannes  mural  paintings  in  the  Boston  Public  Library,  — including 
the  eight  side  panels  as  well  as  the  “ Muses  ” shown 
here,  — are  all  reproduced  in 


THE  MUSES  WELCOMING  THE  GENIUS  OF  ENLIGHTENMENT 

Also  Sargent’s  new  decoration,  ZS  he  "Dogma  o_fthe  'Redemption,  and 
Abbey’s  frieze  of  the  Holy  Grail , both  in  the  Boston  Library. 


C rhe  genuine  Copley  Prints  have  for  years  been  recognized  by  the  most  distinguished  artists  as  the 
best  art  reproductions  made  in  America.  Mr.  Sargent  says,  “ I have  pleasure  in  expressing  my  opin- 
ion of  their  excellence.”  Mr.  Abbey,  writing  of  our  Prints  of  his  Holv  Grail,  says,  “Those  that  have 
been  published  reproducing  my  own  work  I could  not  wish  bettered.” 

^Being  with  few  exceptions  obtainable  in  no  other  form,  these  Prints  have  especial  individuality 
and  distinction,  both  as  gifts  and  for  framing  for  one’s  own  walls.  In  purchasing  at  the  art  stores 
make  sure  that  the  genuine  Prints  are  shown  you.  The  genuine  are  published  solely  bv  the  under- 
signed, and  each  Print  bears  our  initials  in  monogram  — 

^Attention  is  invited  to  our  book  on  the  Holy  Grail,  fully  illustrated,  $5.00  net  ; the  book  on 
American  Mural  Painting,  by  Pauline  King,  also  illustrated,  $3.5°  nct ! ar>d  our  Handbook  of  the 
Boston  Public  Library,  containing  illustrations  of  all  the  Chavannes  decorations,  23  cents. 

^T  Thc  Prints  range  in  price  from  50  cents  to  520.00.  Obtainable  at  the  art  stores,  or  sent  on  ap- 
proval by  the  publishers.  Send  1 5 cents  (stamps)  for  our  complete  illustrated  catalogue.  Print  of 
above  subject , copyright  7897,  by 

CUR.TIS  «,  CAMEROON.  PUBLISHERS 

23  Pierce  Building  BOSTON  Opposite  Public  Librnry 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


IF  you  have  a sensitive  ear  and  are  distressed  by  incorrect  or  expressionless  piano-playing,  we 
wish  you  would  do  us  a favor.  Ask  our  nearest  agent  to  let  you  play  a piano  with  our  New 
ANGELUS,  which  has  the  New  Phrasing  Lever.  You  will  be  more  than  repaid. 

Even  though  you  never  played  a note  of  music,  you  will  be  enabled  to  reproduce  perfectly 
the  delicate  shading  and  expression — the  last  touches  of  musical  grace  of  the  greatest  pianists. 

The  ANGELUS  ORCHESTRAL  has  still  another  feature  that  will  please  you.  In- 
side this  instrument  (Model  No.  66)  is  a complete  set  of  very  sweet  flute-toned  PIPE  REEDS 
(fully  patented).  This  instrument  is  orchestral,  because  you  can  have  any  of  the  following  effects  : 
First  — The  ANGELUS  playing  the  piano  alone. 

Second  — The  ANGELUS  playing  the  Pipe  Reeds  alone. 

Third  — The  ANGELUS  playing  both  the  piano  and  Pipe  Reeds  in  combination,  pro- 
ducing indescribable  beauties  of  melody  and  harmonies  that  will  cause  you  to  marvel.  Very  easy 
of  operation. 

The  ANGELUS  is  the  pioneer  of  all  PIANO  PLAYERS.  Purchased  by  Royalty 
and  the  world’s  greatest  musicians. 

Handsome  booklet  free  upon  request.  Agents  everywhere. 

May  be  heard  at  any  of  the  following  places : 


Baltimore,  Juelg  & Co.  Kansas  City,  Carl  Hoffman  Music  Co. 

Boston,  C.  C.  Harvey  & Co.  Los  Angeles,  the  Bartlett  Music  Co. 

Chicago,  Geo.  P.  Bent.  Minneapolis,  Foster  & Waldo. 

Cincinnati,  The  W.  G.  Woodmansee  New  Haven, Conn., The  Treat& Shephard 
Piano  Co.  Co.,  837  Chapel  St. 

Cleveland,  J.  T.  Wamelink  & Sons’  New  Orleans,  Junius  Hart  Piano  House. 

New  York,  John  Wanamaker. 

Omaha,  A.  Hospe  & Company. 
Philadelphia,  John  Wanamaker. 


Piano  Co. 

Denver,  Ivnight-Locke  Piano  Co. 
Galveston,  Thos.  Goggan  & Bro. 


Pittsburg,  S.  Hamilton 
San  Francisco,  Sherman  Clay  & Co. 
Springfield,  Mass.,  M.  V.  Conway,  354 
Main  St. 

Syracuse,  S.  Rosenbloom  & Sons. 
Washington,  Juelg  & Co. 


J.  Herbert  Marshall,  Regent  House,  Regent  St.,  London. 


And  other  local  agencies  throughout  the 
country. 


THE  WILCOX  & WHITE  CO  .,  ESTABLISHED  1876. 

Sole  Makers.  MERIDEN,  CONN.,  U.  S.  A. 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


Everybody  who  admires  beautiful  table  silver  will  be  interested  to  know 
how  to  obtain  one  of  our  “ World  Brand  ” Sugar  Shells  (regular  size  6 inches 
long)  absolutely  Free.  This  we  know  is  an  expensive  way  to  advertise,  but 
if  we  can  impress  you  with  the  superiority  of  “ World  Brand  ” Silverware 
over  other  brands  we  shall  feel  amply  repaid  for  our  efforts  and  expense. 
Write  to  day  about  our  free  offer. 

THE  AMERICAN  SILVER  CO.,  : : 15  Main  St.,  Bristol,  Conn. 


Use  the  ADAMS  CABLE  CODEX,  a Cipher  Code  for  Circulation  Among  Travellers  “IBS 


If  you  are  going  abroad  for  a Bicycle  Trip  send  for  “ BICYCLING  NOTES  FOR 
TOURISTS  ABROAD.” 

EUROPEAN  PASSAGES 

F.  O.  HOUGHTON  & CO.,  115  State  Street,  corner  Broad,  Boston,  Mass. 


leplanti  line 


From  BOSTON 
To  LIVERPOOL  ^ 


Low  Rates,  First  Cabin  Only  Carried 


$50  Winter  rate  after  Sept.  30 

Round  Trip  as  low  as  $95 — good  for  return  after  Oct.  31 
Summer  rate  $65 


These  new  and  immense  steamships  are  among  the  largest  vessels  sailing  from  Boston,  and  have 
a limited  number  of  staterooms  for  first-cabin  passengers  only.  The  staterooms  are  large  and 
are  located  on  the  upper  decks.  Splendid  new  steamers  now  running  : — 

[ DEVONIAN,  10,418  Tons 

WINIFREDIAN,  10,405  Tons 

STEAMERS:  BOHEMIAN,  10,300  Tons 

I CESTRI AN,  10,300  Tons 

' CANADIAN,  9,301  Tons 


F.  O.  HOUGHTON  & COMPANY,  General  Passenger  Agents 

115  State  Street,  corner  Broad  Street,  Boston  Telephone,  1359  Main,  Boston 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masti  ks  in  Akt 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


°N  EVER^ 


Have  achieved  by  their  uniformly  Delicious  Quality. 
Perfect  Purity,  and  Delightful  Flavors,  the 


LARGEST  SALES 
OF  ANY  CONFECTIONS 
IN  THE  WORLD 


LOWNEY’S  CANDIES  in  the  Original  Sealed  Pack- 
ages are  guaranteed  to  be  in  perfect  condition  or 
money  refunded.  Guarantee  slip  in  each  sealed  package. 


We  send  FREE  the  Lowney  Receipt-Book,  telling 
how  to  make  Chocolate  Bonbons,  Fudge, 

Icings,  etc.,  etc.,  at  home. 


THE  WALTER  M.  LOWNEY  COMPANY 
K.  No.  447  Commercial  Street 
BOSTON,  MASS. 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


wmmmmm  , 1 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


9lrt  (galleries 

OF 

EDWARD  BRANDUS 

391  FIFTH  AVENUE  391 
Between  36th  and  37th  Streets 

NEW  YORK 

16,  RUE  DE  LA  PAIX,  16 

PARIS 

drtjtbttton  of  patnttngg 

B v the  Leading  Masters  of  the  French  School 

AND 

ancient  pntraitg 

By  the  Old  Masters  of  the  Early  French, 
English,  and  Dutch  Schools 


I 

flMcture-Xujbtmo 

Is  in  Itself  an  Art. 

Fine  paintings  are  often  spoiled  by  ineffective 
or  poor  lighting. 

c 

Ztyt  famous  f rink  cSp^tem 

is  being  used  in  a large  number  of  the  finest 
galleries  in  the  country,  and  by  a great  many 
prominent  collectors.  Covers  the  pictures  with 
a strong,  even  light  ; no  glare  in  the  eyes,  or 
spots  on  the  picture  space. 

ftn  ^fceal  Slight. 

We  have  made  a special  study  of  picture-light- 
ing, and  are  prepared  to  give  you  the  best  re- 
sults attainable.  Galleries,  individual  collections 
or  paintings  successfully  lighted.  Investigation 
invited. 

c 

I.  P.  FRINK, 

551  Pearl  Street,  New  York  City. 

In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


^Erh^jlllustrattiiilfonoflrapijs 


A PARTIAL  LIST  OF  THE  ARTISTS  TO  BE 
CONSIDERED  IN  ‘MASTERS  IN  ART’  DUR- 
ING THE  CURRENT  VOLUME  WILL  BE 
FOUND  ON  ANOTHER  PAGE  OF  THIS  ISSUE. 
THE  NUMBERS  WHICH  HAVE  ALREADY 
APPEARED  IN  1903  ARE: 


Part  37,  JANUARY 
Part  3s,  FEBRUARY 
Part  39,  MARCH 
Part  40,  APRIL 
Part  41,  MAY 
Part  42,  JUNE 
Part  43,  JULY 
Part  44,  AUGUST 
Part  45,  SEPTEMBER 

PART  4 


ROMNEY 
. FRA  ANGELICO 
. WATTEAU 
RAPHAEL’S  FRESCOS 
DONATELLO 
GERARD  DOU 
CARPACCIO 
ROSA  BONHEUR 
GUIDO  RENI 

THE  ISSUE  FOR 


3lol'cmI)cr 

WILL  TREAT  OF 


NUMBERS  ISSUED  IN  PREVIOUS  VOLUMES 
OF  ‘MASTERS  IN  ART' 


mi  1 


aaoi  u. 


Part  i 
Part  2 
Part  3 
Part  4 
Part  5. 
Part  6 
Part  7 
Part  8. 
Part  9. 
Part  10 
Part  ii 
Part  12. 


Part  25.- 
Part  26. 
Part  27. 
Part  28 
Part  29. 
Part  30  - 


-VAN  DYCK 

-TITIAN 

-VELASQUEZ 

-HOLBEIN 

-BOTTICELLI 

-REMBRANDT 

-REYNOLDS 

-MILLET 

-GIO.  BELLINI 

-MURILLO 

-HALS 

-RAPHAEL 

* Sculpture 


Part  13 
Part  14 
Part  15 
Part  i() 
Part  17 
Part  18 
Part  19 
Part  20 
Part  21 
Part  22 
Part  23 
Part  24 
f Pain 


—RUBENS 
—DA  VINCI 
— DURER 

— MICHELANGELO* 
— MICHELANGELOf 
— COROT 

— BUR  N E-JONES 
—TER  BORCH 

— DELLA  ROBBIA 
—DEL  SARTO 
—GAINSBOROUGH 
—CORREGGIO 

ting 


1001.  III. 


-PHIDIAS 
PERUGINO 
-HOLBEIN  $ Part  3J 

-TINTORETTO  Part  34 

■ PIETER  dr  HOOCH  Part  35 

-NATTIER  Part  36 

$ Drawingt 


Part  31— PAUL  POTTER 
Part  32.— GIOTTO 

—PRAXITELES 
—HOGARTH 
—TURNER 
— LUINI 


2UI  the  abode  mimed  illicit? 
arc  constantly  kept  in  stock 

PRICE  FOR  SINGLE  PARTS,  15  CENTS  EACH 
PRICE  FOR  ANY  TWELVE  CONSECUTIVE  PARTS, 
5I..V).  VOLUME  1, CONTAINING  PARTS  1 TO  12,  INCLU- 
SIVE;  VOLUME  2,  CONTAINING  PARTS  13  TO  24, 
INCLUSIVE;  AND  VOI.'  ME  3,  CONTAINING  PARTS 
25  TO  30  INCLUSIVE,  CAN  BE  SUPPLIED  BOUND,  IN 
BROWN  BUCKRAM,  WITH  GILT  STAMPS  AND  GILT 
TOP,  FOR  S3  00  EACH:  IN  GREEN  HALF-MOROCCO, 
GILT  STAMPS  AND  GILT  TOP,  FOR  53.50  EACH. 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


GENEALOGY 

fEI )t  Boston  Cbnung  transcript 

PRINTS  more  genealogical  material  than  all  other 
United  States  daily  papers  combined,  and  circulates 
where  any  interest  is  taken  in  the  matter.  Among  the 
correspondents  are  some  of  the  best  genealogists.  Their 
data  is  reliable.  People  interested  in  tracing  ancestry 
should  subscribe  to  the  Monday  and  Wednesday 
issues.  Subscription,  $3  per  year;  3 months’  trial,  $1; 
sample  copies  free. 


BOSTON  TRANSCRIPT  CO.,  Boston,  Mass. 


AIR  BRUSH  ONE 

IPL 

FOR 

ART  WORK.  IN  ART 


INTERESTED 


or  Artistic  Shading,  may  do  well  to  write 
ofr  circulars  for  the  latest  and  the  best. 

Address  AIR  BRUSH  MFG.  CO. 
No.  42  Nassau  St.,  Rockford,  111.,  U.S.A. 


TUr  $ctu  fork  J>djool  of  £lrt 

(chase  school) 

57  WEST  57th  STREET,  NEW  YORK 
Sept.  7,  1903,  to  Sept.  6,  1904 
INSTRUCTORS 

William  M.  Chase  Robert  Henri 

Susan  F.  Bissell  F.  Luis  Mora 

Howard  Chandler  Christy  Kenneth  Hayes  Miller 
Douglas  John  Connah  Theodora  W.  Thayer 

Separate  Life  Classes  for  Men  and  Women  in  Drawing:  and 
Painting  from  the  Nude.  Mixed  Classes  in  Portraiture,  Still 
Life,  Illustration,  Composition,  and  Design.  Open-Air  Classes 
from  the  Costume  Model  and  Landscape  Painting.  Summer 
School  on  Long  Island. 

No  requirements  for  admission  to  any  of  the  classes.  Refer- 
ences required  of  all  students. 

For  further  particulars  in  reference  to  the  School,  apply  to 
DOUGLAS  JOHN  CONNAH,  Director,  57  West 57th  Street, 
New  York. 


THE  HIGH  RENAISSANCE 

This  will  be  the  subject  of  the  second  year  of  the  new 

OUTLINES  FOR  ART  STUDY 

issued  monthly  with  Penny  reproductions.  Send  for  announcement 
and  sample  copies. 

ART  AND  HISTORY  TOURS 

These  in  spring  and  summer  continue,  under  nored  critics,  the 
winter’s  study.  General  tours  with  wider  interests.  Send  for  de- 
tails of  a new  kind  of  travel. 

BURFAU  OF  UNIVERSITT  TRAVEL , 

201  Clarendon  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


SCHOOL  OF  THE 
MUSEUM  - OF  - FINE -ARTS 

BOSTON,  MASS. 


Drawing  and 
Painting. 


INSTRUCTORS 

E.  C.  TARBELL 

F.  W.  BENSON 
PHILIP  HALE 

B.  L.  PRATT  Modeling 

E.  W.  EMERSON  Anatomy 
A.  K.  CROSS  Perspective 

DEPT.  OF  DESIGN 

C.  HOWARD  WALKER 

DIRECTOR 


SCHOLARSHIPS 

Paige  Foreign  Scholarship 
for  Men  and  Women. 

Helen  Hamblen  Scholarship. 
Ten  Free  Scholarships. 
Prizes  in  money  awarded  in 
each  department. 

Twenty-eighth  Year 

For  circulars  and  terms  address 
the  manager 


Miss  EMILY  DANFORTH  NORCROSS 


art  acabcm^  of  Ctnctnnatt 

ENDOWED  for  HIGHER  EDUCATION  in  ART 
Money  Scholarships  Year’s  Tuition,  $25.00 


Frank  Duveneck 
Thomas  S.  Noble 
V.  Nowottny 
L.  H.  Meakin 
C.  J.  Barnhorn 
Wm.  H.  Fry 
Anna  Riis 
Caroline  A.  Lord  J 
Henrietta  Wilson  > 
Kate  R.  Miller  ) 


For  Drawing , Paintings  Composition , 
Artistic  Anatomy , etc. 

For  Modeling 
For  IVood-carving 
For  Design  and  China  Painting 

For  Preparatory  Drawing , etc. 


36th  year:  Sept.  28th,  1903,  to  May  28th,  1904. 

J.  H.  GEST,  Director,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


BROWN’S  FAMOUS 
PICTURES 

Reproductions  of  famous 
painti  gs  by  old  and  modern 
masters.  2,000  subjects  in 
Black  and  White  or  Sepia. 
Size,  5 1-2  x 8. 

ONE  CENT  EACH 

120  for  $1.00 

Large  Platinoprints  and 
Carbonprints  3 cents  each. 
Our  new  48-page  catalogue, 
with  several  hundred  illustra- 
tions, and  two  sample  pictures, 
for  two-cent  stamp. 

GEORGE  P.  BROWN  & COMPANY,  Beverly,  Mass. 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MASTERS  IN  ART 


COLORGRAPHS 

§UR  new  pictures,  the  “Colorgraphs,” 
are,  as  the  title  suggests,  reproduc- 
tions in  color.  The  subjects  have 
been  carefully  selected  from  the  most  famous 
works  of  both  ancient  and  modern  masters. 
The  “Colorgraphs”  will  at  once  be  recog- 
nized as  gems  of  art,  for  their  faithfulness  to 
the  originals  in  the  depth  and  beauty  of  col- 
oring brings  them  close  to  the  possible  limits 
of  reproductive  art. 

Hist  of  Subject?  Ifroto  Heabjj 

MADONNA  DEL  GRAN  DUCA 
MADONNA  OF  THE  CHAIR 
CORONATION  OF  THE  VIRGIN 
ST.  ANTHONY  OF  PADUA 
ST.  CECILIA 

MARY’S  VISIT  TO  ELIZABETH 
HOLY  FAMILY 


By  Raphael 
By  Raphael 
By  Botticelli 
By  Murillo 
By  Raphael 
By  Alhertinelli 
By  Andrea  del  Sarto 
By  Murillo 
By  Plockhorst 
By  Plockhorst 
By  Plockhorst 

Christ  and 

By  Hofmann 

CThe  “ Colorgraphs”  are  8 x io  inches  in  size,  and 
each  is  enclosed  in  a neat  deckle-edged  portfolio. 

Price,  35  cents  each 

W.  A.  WILDE  COMPANY 


MADONNA  AND  CHILD 
CHRIST  THE  CONSOLER 
THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD 
REPOSE  IN  EGYPT 
HEAD  OF  CHRIST.  From 
the  Rich  Young  Ruler  ” 


BOSTON 
120  Boylston  Street 


CHICAGO 
192  Michigan  Avenue 


Tilt 

Crabclcr’s 
girt  Club 

A PRACTICAL  and 
successful  method 
for  the  Study  of  Art  at  your  home,  or  in 
clubs,  devised  and  arranged  by  Mrs.  Adeliza 
Brainerd  Chaffee,  after  years  of  experience 
in  Lecturing,  Study,  and  Foreign  Travel. 

topics 

Full  details  upon  application 


CR  are  and  Beautiful  Water  Colors  and 
Carbons. 

CR  eproduedons  from  famous  Masterpieces, 
and  Original  Views  in  Venice,  Rome,  and 
Florence. 

^The  Raphael  Prints  in  Sepias,  3,000  sub- 
jects, new  and  beautiful.  Order  bp  mail. 


t jaffee  Stutrto 

1 Hancock  St.,  Worcester,  Mass. 


GIBSON  PYROGRAPHY 


$1.80 


famous  li*inj(  [Mm-anddnk  artist,  l.i«  work*  •ellin*  for  fabulous  nuw 
rmraMj  ivUpt'd  to  Pyroxrapbic  rrpr«/Ju>nion. 

T.  & C.  OUTFIT  NO.  95 

Shown  fthore,  value  I«  Ujtnpvririly  offered  for 

Tlil«  Is  a Msrh-trrvle  Instrument.  tpbmd Idly  mad"  of  the  bent  material*,  and  Includes  flno 
Platinum  Point,  Cork  Handle.  Rubber  TtiMn*.  DotiMo  Action  Hull.,  Metal  Union  Cork, 
ItKtle,  AJtohol  Uin|i.  Two  Pi  ere*  Mtam[ie«l  Praetkre  Wood.  and  full  InMr'HJtksi*.  all 
t»,n"d  In  neat  leatherette  Ho*.  For  ul*  by  jour  dealer,  nr  »ent  by  u*  C.O.D.  for  e*aml- 
aatkwi.  Write  for  our  blf  'Vtj.njo  Cataloru"  with  "obrred  ln*ert«  No.  14  W...FRKL 

Illu«tratea  hundred!  of  filb*on  and  ’l.er  artist'  I-  >irn»«n  " *»l.  rr»dj 
I I 1 1 foT  burnln<'  »•**'  •”  ot  P*'J  -utflU  at  lowest 

V/Mi'-wfV  This  trade-mark  on  «T«rythinj(  wo  make.  It  mean*  quality.  Call  for  T.  4 
C.  PyrojrrapMa  b<wl«. 

Thayer  & Chandler,  162-164  W.  Jackson  Blvd,  Chicago. 

Larfaat  Maker*  of  Pyrography  Goods  to  lb«  WotM 


Otvners  ojf  "Buildings 
A.'Void  Liability 

from  damages  caused  by  ice  or  snow 
falling  from  roofs  by  applying 

T?l£  Folsom  New  Model 
Snow  Guard 

This  is  the  simplest 
and  only  perfect  device 
which  holdssnow  where 
it  falls,  prevents  slides, 
or  the  gathering  of  snow 
and  ice  at  the  eaves, 
which  so  frequently  causes  water  to  back  up 
under  the  shingles  or  slates  and  damage  walls 
and  ceilings.  Folsom  Snow  Guards  are  made 
for  shingle,  slate,  tile,  or  meta!  roofs,  both  old 
and  new,  and  arc  applied  at  trifling  expense. 
Specified  as  the  standard  snow  guard  by 
architects  every  where.  Write for  information. 

FOLSOM  SNOW  GUARD  CO. 

105  Beach  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


TRADE.  MARK 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Are 


MASTE  RS  IN  ART 


STRATHMORE 
CHARCOAL  PAPER 

MADE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 


USED  AND  RECOMMENDED  BT 

MAXFTT7LD  PARRISH 

AND  A . ' OTHERS 


Try  It ! 

Two  sample  sheets  will  be  mailed  to  any  address  on  receipt  of  postage,  10  cents 


MITTINEAGUE  PAPER  CO. 

H.  A.  MOSES,  Treasurer 

MITTINEAGUE,  MASSACHUSETTS,  U.  S.  A. 


FROST  S3  ADAMS  COMPANY 

IMPORTERS  AND  DEALERS  IN 

artists’  ittatertals  anh  jttatijrmattcal  instruments 


A Full  Line  ot 

$t)rograpIjt}  Sets 

From  $2.50  to  $7.50 


ftnegt  ^ooti  OBlanfig 

For  Decorating 


^rrforatttr  Bc&iQm  from  ttocutg  to  fiftg  ttn ts  tract) 


CATALOGUES  FREE  ON  APPLICATION 


37  CORNHILL,  BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 

3 5 8 a B — 


In  answering  advertisements,  please  mention  Masters  in  Art 


MAIN 

among  jy*11*  ■« 

m we  <*» 


